Theater of the Rose
by Kurisutaru6
Summary: This is a story based off of White Wolf's clans and background, but I took it and made something of my own. It's a tale of a Toreador and her clan trying to overcome the Sabbat that hunt them, all while trying to unravel the mystery of her true past.
1. Ch 1: Crystal

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**Friday, July 6, 2001 - Matawan, NJ 10:07 a.m.**

_"Lydian! Grab my hand!" A young man on a black horse called to her._ Crystal awakened to the sound of her alarm clock blaring. She rolled over and hit the button to turn it off. Her eyes fluttered open gradually as she began to awaken. A small black Chihuahua started jumping on her and licking her face. "Cut it out Chi Chi." she said as she pushed him away. _What the heck was that? These dreams, over and over._ Her eyes darted about the bedroom, and she rolled off of her futon. _Jeez, why am I up so early? I have off today. Oh well, I'll call Megan and see if she's awake yet. _ Crystal reached for the phone on her night table and punched in Megan's house line. A sleepy voice picked up on the other end and mumbled, "Hello?" 

"Meg, it's me." 

"Oh hi Crystal! What's up? And why are you up so early?" 

"I forgot to turn off the alarm last night. Oh well…do you want to meet me at Menlo Mall's arcade at 8?" 

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there. I just have to take a shower and such." 

"Sounds good. See ya then." 

"K, bye." 

Crystal walked past the living room full of the latest video game systems and anime DVDs to the kitchen. She fumbled through the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a can of dog food, which she opened and dumped in the dog's bowl next to the water cooler. She glanced around her townhouse looking for her dog's leash. The twinkling blue jewel-encrusted leash caught her eye from behind the black leather sectional in the living room. She grabbed it and called to her dog. "Come on Chi Chi, time to go out." The dog ran to the door blissfully wagging his tail. 

When she got back from her walk she hopped in the shower. _This feels so good_, she thought to herself as the soothing warm water coursed over her body. She turned off the water and stepped out, grabbed a blue towel off the rack, and wrapped it around herself. She examined her reflection in the wall mirror above the sink. Pale blue eyes, smooth white skin, and long flowing dark red hair; a picture of perfection. She headed to her bedroom and picked out some clothes, a pair of black flare leg pants with slits up the sides of the calves, a red sleeveless turtleneck sweater, and a pair of black ankle length boots. As soon as she finished getting dressed she headed to the garage to her Porsche and revved the engine a few times, feeling the awesome power under her control. Her fingers glided across the satiny ebony leather seats. _God, I love this car._ She popped it in reverse and backed out of her garage, heading up to the mall. 

The sleek powerful black Porsche sped up the ramp onto the second floor of the parking garage at the Menlo Park Mall. The tires rolled to a stop in a parking spot right near the entrance to the stairwell. The whirring of the engine halted as she turned the car off, and the driver's side door swung open wide. Crystal lit a cherry cigarette and headed up the staircase. As she ascended to the top heads turned. She was used to this. She walked straight past everyone, ignoring his or her stares. 

She tossed her cigarette and entered through the large glass doors. As soon as she walked inside she noticed Trinity standing there talking to another security guard, both wearing their ridiculous Mounties' hats. Trinity turned her head and yelled, "Hi Crystal!" Crystal nodded and smiled in acknowledgement, as she was naturally very quiet. Trinity immediately went back to talking to the male security guard, "So anyway, there I was…surrounded by Asian men …." Crystal just shook her head and giggled as she walked inside the arcade. Bob the pedophile was behind the counter. He grinned at her like the dirty old man he is and said, "Where's my hug and kiss Crystal?" She just laughed at him and walked away like usual. She headed around the corner past the air hockey table to find Rob, Megan, Wendell, and Jae were all standing by the Dance Dance Revolution machine. Crystal said hello and gave each of them a hug. They were all focused on the man playing on the machine. 

She just stood there and stared intently at him, captivated. He was absolutely gorgeous. Intense sea blue eyes framed by short wavy brown hair and an amazing smile, broad shoulders topped his lean, muscular build. The way he moved was so graceful. He had a style all his own, unlike any other she had seen. It just flowed. As he finished the song routine, he stepped off the machine and glanced over toward her. He smiled at her and their eyes met for a second, then he walked away. A strange peaceful feeling washed over her. She continued to stare at him as he walked out the door. Megan poked her arm. "Hello? Crystal? Are you ok?" She shook her head and immediately asked, "Who was that?" Rob started laughing hysterically. "Crystal has a crush!" Megan smacked his arm and scolded him, "Shush Rob." She turned back to Crystal who still looked a bit dazed. "That was my friend Garan. He's incredible isn't he?" Megan grinned. Crystal sighed softly, "You could say that…." She grabbed Crystal's arm and pulled her toward the door. "So…do you want me to introduce you or what? Come on!" 

Chapter 2 >>>


	2. Ch 2: Garan

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Garan was standing against the brick wall outside the movie theater doors smoking a cigarette, talking to a bunch of other guys. Crystal suddenly became nervous when she saw him. Her heart raced as they approached him. Megan ran up to Garan and gave him a big hug. "Garan, I'd like you to meet my friend Crystal." He nodded, "Hello Crystal." She was desperately in need of a cigarette so she excused herself for a minute to run inside to buy some. She came back out and noticed Megan and Garan were deep in conversation, he had a thoughtful expression on his face. She started to walk toward the two. Just then Rob, Jae, and Wendell came out and walked over to him. 

Jae yelled, "Garan!" 

Garan shook his hand. "Hey, what's up?" 

The four of them started talking, ignoring Meg and Crystal. So the two girls went to the parking lot to Crystal's car. She opened the Porsche's trunk with her keypad and changed the CDs in the disc changer so they could listen to some music. Megan was all giddy; Crystal could tell she had news. "Guess what? When you went inside Garan told me he thought you were really cute and he wants to get to know you better." she said with a huge grin on her face. Crystal's jaw dropped. 

"You're serious? No way. Wow." 

"Yes, dead serious." 

"Hmm…" 

A slight dreamy smile spread across Crystal's pale face. Her bright blue eyes were twinkling. Megan poked her. "Hey lover girl, we'd better head back before Rob starts bitching." Crystal nodded as she turned the car off and they headed back upstairs. Megan went to look for Rob, and Crystal walked over to where Garan was standing alone. She was so anxious her hands were shaking. She lit a cigarette to try to calm down. 

"Hey", she said rather sheepishly. 

Garan looked at her. "Oh, hi." 

Crystal didn't know what to say. There was silence. She decided to call Danielle on her cell phone and say hi since she was feeling so awkward. Meanwhile Garan walked away with three guys to go gamble at cards. 

_Why can't I talk to him…? I've never been so intimidated by anyone. I don't get it. I feel like he's ignoring me. Is he? Is it me?!_

She sat and talked to people on her phone, first Danielle, then Jen, Joe, and Bill…just trying to kill time. Finally Garan walked back over to her and asked, "We're going to see a movie, wanna come?" 

"I have no money right now." 

"That's ok, I have enough." 

Crystal bit her lip and hesitated. "Umm…" 

"Ok, well…I guess you're not coming so I'll see you later." 

He gave her a hug and walked away. 

She called after him, "Wait, are you going to the diner tonight?" 

He turned around and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, maybe." he replied as he walked into the theater. 

Crystal headed for the stairs and fumbled through her purse for her cell phone to call Megan. _God, I'm making it seem like I don't want to spend some time with him just because I really don't like accepting money from people. Is there something wrong with me? I hope he understands. All I want is to hang out with him and talk one on one, get to know him better._ She hit speed dial number 6. "Hello?" Megan answered.   
"Hi, where are you guys?"   
"We went to the diner a bit early. Thought we'd give you a chance to pick up Garan." Megan laughed.   
"Ok, very funny, I'll be there in 20." 

Crystal got in her car and drove down to the Town & Country Inn where everyone hangs out at night. When she arrived she noticed Megan and Rob's cars there. Jae and Wendell pulled up just after her. They all went inside and sat down. Megan and Rob got up to say hi to everyone. They all sat down and began with the basic chatter. Nina the waitress came over and greeted everyone. Everyone ordered their drinks and started looking through the little tin jellies to check the bottoms for the stupid phrases they like to inscribe on them. Crystal glanced out the window and saw Marc's green Grand Am backing in. Marc and Jon walked in and sat down. Crystal gave Jon a big hug, rested her head on his shoulder and whined, "Jon... I don't know what to do anymore." 

"Aww, what's the matter babe?" 

"I really like this guy, but I'm having trouble expressing it. I never had this problem before. What's wrong with me? I really feel like he doesn't like me in the slightest. I'm ready to just give up." 

Jon patted her head and said, "Don't worry about it, you're a great girl and if he does nothing about it he's stupid and it's his loss." 

Crystal smiled, "Thanks Jon…I guess." 

She lit a cigarette and slumped down in the seat. Megan gave her a look. "What's wrong? You've been acting weird…cheer up." Rob lifted his head from Megan's shoulder and yelled at Crystal, "Stop bein so damn depressed!" She laughed and apologized. "I don't mean to be depressed but I just can't help it right now. I need to go home. I'll see you guys later." Rob, Megan, Marc, Jon, Jae, and Wendell all got up and said goodbye to her, as she got ready to leave. 

When she got home she flopped down on her bed and started to cry. "What is wrong with me? I feel sick…" 

Chapter 3 >>>


	3. Ch 3: Revelations

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The next day Crystal woke up at near 8 p.m. _Shit! How did I wake up so late?_ She hurriedly got into the shower and dressed, then hopped in her car and shot up to Menlo. By the time she got there, only Garan was left strangely enough. She walked over to the cement wall he was perched on to say hi. "Hi Crystal, what's up?" _The resemblance to her is astounding…_

"Not much. Hey Garan, I wanted to talk to you about something. I'm going to put this rather bluntly. I really am quite attracted to you, but…if you don't like me, you can tell me, I won't be upset." 

"Well, why would I lie?" he replied as he hopped off the wall and walked away. As he walked, he turned around and took one last glance at her. 

_Those eyes of his, I feel like they pierce right through me…..and what kind of an answer was that! He has got to be the only person in the whole world you can't get a straight answer out of! Grr…he drives me nuts! Yet, I swear that makes me even more attracted to him._ Crystal sighed and headed over to the stairs to the second floor of the garage. She spotted Garan's truck already leaving, so she decided to follow him. She kept her distance and turned her headlights off so he wouldn't see her. Eventually he pulled into the driveway of a large house in Edison. It was very simple on the outside, light gray plastic siding with black shutters around the windows, the roof was also black, and it had a one car garage attached to the left side of the house. There was not much for landscaping, just a long row of tall bushes on either side of the property dividing his home from the neighbors on either side. She parked down the street and crept up to the house, hiding behind a row of bushes. He was getting a bag from Electronics Boutique out of the back of his truck. "I know you're there. You can come out." He said out loud. Crystal was shocked. _He saw me? But how?!_ She stepped out of her hiding spot and walked over to him. "I swear, this isn't what it looks like." She said sheepishly. 

"So, why were you following me?" he asked. 

"Um…I…I don't really know. You're not mad at me are you? I'm not some crazy stalker. I was just curious I guess." 

"No, I'm not mad at you. But, since you're here, you might as well come inside." His warm smile reassured her, but still she felt uneasy. He led her through the front door to his living room. It was rather simple yet elegant. Midnight blue carpeting, white walls, with black drapes covering the two windows in the room. Against the far wall was a 60" widescreen television with a full Bose entertainment system. There was a black u-shaped leather sectional across from that, and in the center a black metal coffee table with glass top. Two elaborate wrought iron sconces adorned the wall on either side of the tv. 

Garan gestured to the sofa. "Have a seat." Crystal sat down on one of the cushy leather seats, still a bit nervous. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked. 

"Um…no thanks. Nice place you have here." 

"Thank you, glad to hear you like it." 

"So, uh, why did you walk away from me like that before?" 

"I really do care for you, but I am a little confused right now." He sat down next to her and hugged her. He held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "It really is you." he said as he leaned over to kiss her. She was startled but returned the kiss. His slender hands caressed her breast and thigh. He moved from her lips down to her neck. Small pointed fangs slid down past his upper lip and he sank them deep into the pale flesh of her throat. Crystal uttered a small cry and went limp in his arms. 

Chapter 4 >>>


	4. Ch 4: Truth

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She woke from what seemed to be a horrible nightmare. The small rays of sunlight peeked through her blinds, making her wince at the warmth that greeted her. The covers of her bed were pulled back to hide her sensitive skin from Apollo's welcome. _Sleep... why am I so tired? I used to relish the sunlight in the morning. _

Crystal glanced over to her alarm clock. _Only ten in the morning…not a typical day. I don't remember what happened last night. The ride to his house, then we talked, and then……… why can't I recall the rest of the night?_ Crystal's eyes grew heavy, and soon she was asleep again. 

When she awoke, her Chihuahua was licking her face. "Eww, cut it out Chi." she scolded. She slinked out of her bed, stiff from fading in and out of consciousness and glanced at the window, realizing that it was night already. She spun around to look at her clock. It flashed just past 7pm. _Shit! I am late! I was supposed to meet the crew over three hours ago. Where is my cell phone? I hate this bite-size piece of shit! I can never find the thing when I need it. Huh? I have some messages. She danced around the keypad, entering her voicemail code. Okay, Rob, getting check and heading to the mall. Megan is looking for Rob and me. Damn it, Garan didn't call. _

She hurried herself to get ready. Crystal jumped, hearing the melodic tones of 'Heart of Asia' all of a sudden. 

"Hello?" she answered. 

Hearing what sounded like a locker room after the big game, a reply finally came after a long pause. "Hey! Where the hell are you?" 

It was Megan. She sounded like she was very out of place and was looking for comfort. 

"I am on my way." 

"Okay. Just get here soon. I wanna know what happened." 

"Be there in about fifteen minutes." 

"Okay." 

_Why can't I remember what happened last night? And how did I get home? _Too many thoughts were running through her already jumbled head. Crystal threw her car into drive and peeled back onto the road. 

Cars were mere blurs as she focused on getting to the arcade. Crystal pulled onto the second deck of the parking garage. Realizing that she didn't get enough time to make herself presentable, she grabbed her jacket and brush. As she approached the main entrance she noticed all the guys huddled together. Megan was standing on the sidelines rolling her eyes as each testosterone-laden story was tossed into the air. The latest comment was Jae running into Andy and bouncing off him like a bug on a windshield. 

"Hey guys," she said to the crowd. 

Everyone paused and gave hugs all around to Crystal. Oddly she didn't find the strength and comfort she always felt. _No Garan yet._ Just then, Trinity walked up, looking like a fucking idiot, as usual. 

"HEY! DON'T RUN!!!" she screamed at the annoying twelve-year olds that wreak havoc in the mall. "Goddamn kids, I hate people. Hey Crystal! So there I was… surrounded by buffalo; in the mists of Fifth Avenue, with four margaritas left, and only one credit card to spare! WHAT DO I DO?!?!" 

"Run around to confuse the buffalo, drink the damn margaritas, and buy a few more with the credit card," Crystal answered frankly. 

"Oh my God…someone finally answered that." 

"Anybody interesting around?" Crystal questioned. 

"Ohhhhhh! You mean Garan?" Trinity said with an evil, sadistic grin. 

"Why do you think I meant him?" 

"I work at the damn mall. I hear all the good gossip. Besides, I'm still hitting on Sassine. I swear, the kid stutters worse than a scratched CD. But I'd still do him!" Trinity laughed hysterically, as if she completely lost all her marbles. 

"Oh. So is he here?" Crystal said inquisitively. 

"Yup, he's right behind you." Trinity giggled. 

Crystal turned around slowly. 

"You look like a deer caught in headlights. What's up?" Garan asked with a smile. 

"Um, nothing. How are you?" 

"Okay, I guess." He looked at her with his puppy eyes. "No hug?" 

Crystal held him tightly; his hand lingered on her hip as he pulled away. 

"Well, time to go play some video games," Garan said as he walked into the mall. 

_OH MY GOD! I can't believe that he was right behind me the entire time!_

"Crystal, chill. He walked up while I was babbling about Joe. I swear, if I get my way, I'll ask Joe out later," Trinity laughed. 

"Um, well, here's your chance. He's been standing behind you the entire time," Crystal said with a ruthless smirk. 

Trinity turned around with the same look that Crystal had only a moment before. Crystal walked away from Joe and Trinity as she began to start babbling about the buffalo again. Crystal turned around just in time to see Joe walk away from Trinity, shaking his head. 

Crystal strolled into the arcade, just to be bombarded by the perverted token boy Bob. Crystal shot him down, as usual. That was nothing new. Just then, Megan came bounding up to Crystal. 

"Guess what?!?!?!?" Megan shrieked. "I'm getting a new car!" she said, "But anyway…where'd Garan go?" 

Crystal looked very distant. "He's in the arcade playing video games." she answered. _"I need you…"_ The voice echoed inside her head. All the remaining color drained from her face. _What is that?! Am I losing my mind? I swear I just heard Garan's voice…but he is inside…impossible… _

Megan waved her hand in front of Crystal's face. "Hello? Anyone home?" 

Crystal shook her head, "I'm sorry." 

Megan frowned. "I'm really starting to worry about you, you know." 

"I'll be fine…" _Yes, once I figure out what the hell is going on… _

Megan and Crystal headed over to the soda machines. Meg's friend James was standing there. He started speaking in a bad Russian accent. The two girls hopped up on the cement wall and lit up. The three of them were bullshitting when Garan walked out. He came over and poked Megan in the leg. "I'm gonna go play some Tekken Tag." he said as he headed toward the movie theater. Megan looked at Crystal. "Oo..kay" she said. They finished talking and James went to go pick up his buddy George so the girls headed to the movie theater arcade. They stood behind Garan and watched him play Tekken. _When am I ever gonna get the nerve to approach this guy??_ Crystal wondered. Megan grinned and grabbed Crystal's hairclip off of her bag. She clamped it onto the back of Garan's head. He started cursing, "Get that fucking thing out of my hair!" Before Megan could move, he unclamped it from his hair and flung it backwards. It clocked a passing woman right in the face. Crystal and Megan were shocked. 

They felt the woman's eyes staring right through the backs of their heads, but she walked away without a word. Wendell and Jae finally wandered in, both of them rubbing their sore knees. 

"Hey all," Jae said with a small wince. "I hit my ass on the crossbar and it is gonna leave a mark." 

"It was funny." 

"Go fuck off Wen." 

"Where is everyone?" asked Meg. 

"Around, I think I saw Trinity chasing down the buffalo that stole the last jelly from the diner," said Wendell as he was glancing over to the Dance Dance Revolution machine. Apparently, he was looking to see if any jailbait was lingering around the game. "Excellent," he said while tapping his fingers together. 

Jae all of a sudden disappeared again. Garan never noticed he was there. Crystal glanced around the theater lobby. _That damn Asian has to stop doing that. Should I ask Garan about last night? I'll wait till the crowd thins out. We went to his house, then we started hooking up and then I don't know after that. Why can't I remember? This is getting more bizarre by the minute. _

"Hey, wanna go play a game of Dance Dance Revolution?" Megan asked, snapping Crystal out of her thoughts. 

"Sure. Maybe it'll help me clear my head." 

They both wandered over to the machine just as Trinity was escorting a guy out of the arcade. The stench coming from his body was so overwhelming that Trinity was gagging. "I just beat Dead End on shuffle! I got a 410! Garan can't even do that!" Evan babbled as he was getting dragged out. 

"Shut your stanky hole. Besides, not like you have any style," Trinity scolded as the crowd drew in fresh air to their lungs. "Go take a damn shower for once in your life. Too many customers are complaining about you." She yelled as she pushed him out the main doors. 

Crystal and Megan put their tokens in the machine and started to play. _This uneasiness is driving me crazy. Where was that voice coming from?_ _"Don't worry, give it time. I will explain everything." _ Suddenly spooked, she hopped off the machine. Crystal scanned the crowd as she ran outside. Fumbling for her vanilla cigarettes, she saw Jae and Trinity talking by the stairs. A couple of the teenyboppers were playing toss with a pair of twins. Trinity looked aggravated because they were interrupting her smoke break, and Jae was vigorously scratching off lottery tickets. 

"Wahoo! I won seventeen bucks!" 

"Hey Crystal! Why look so, oh I dunno, stoned?!?!" Trinity said going from annoyed to concerned. 

Jae looked up, "What's up? You look like someone just took a walk around your head and left a trail." 

"I don't know, I just don't know," she said as she sparked another cig. 

"What the hell was that all about?" a voice hooted from behind. It was Megan. 

"Oh, sorry, I had to take care of that asshole again. The dumb bastard tried to smack my ass. I hate people. So there I was!" Trinity started to bitch again. 

"No, not that, you whore!" Megan yelled, "I was talking about Crystal." 

"Oh, sorry," Trinity said as she began to walk away. "I'm gonna go find Sassine. Besides, I think I might have a chance!" 

Crystal looked at Megan as her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed. Her skirt ended up around her throat as Megan frantically tried to save Crystal's last shred of dignity. Just then Rob and Jae ran to Crystal's side. 

"Dude! What the fuck did you do to her?!" Jae screamed at Megan. 

"I don't know! She just fell on her ass!" Megan yelled back. 

Trinity sprinted away from her post. 

"Okay everyone! Give me some room! I am the rent-a-cop," Trinity yelled as she shoved twelve year olds out of her way. A few bounced off the walls as she hip-checked them. 

Crystal soon came back to consciousness. She felt her eyes flutter open as her hearing returned. 

"Crystal? You okay now? You look a little pale," Trinity said as she helped Crystal to her feet. 

"Um, yeah. I think so. I just feel really weak." 

Just then, Garan strolled up. 

"Hey Crystal. You look wonderful," Garan said as he dusted her back off. 

"Thanks," Crystal said as she gave him a sarcastic look. 

"Do you want me to take you home?" Garan asked. 

"Um, okay. I don't think it would be a good idea for me to drive anyhow," Crystal said. 

Crystal and Garan walked to his Pathfinder and got in. Just then, Crystal happened to notice a small insignia on one of Garan's claw-rings. It was of a small rose. Garan noticed her staring at the ring. "It's an old family heirloom." He said. 

"It's beautiful…" 

He started the car and drove out of the parking garage to Rte. 1, the main road. "So, where to?" he asked. "Ok, you need to take Rte. 1 south to Rte. 9, it will merge into Hwy. 35, eventually you will see Fleur St., turn right onto that road." She explained. Garan followed her directions, and they eventually came upon her townhouse. He parked the car and came around to open her door for her. She smiled at him as she stepped out of the car. _Wow, he's such a gentlemen! Not too many like him around nowadays. This one's definitely a keeper. Plus, he's got the cutest face I've ever seen!_ "So, this is where we part ways." He said, snapping her out of her thoughts. 

"I suppose so…Garan?" 

"Yes?" 

"I know this is gonna sound weird, but I feel like I've loved you forever. I sense…something when I'm around you. Like we are soulmates, like you are my destiny. I'm sorry…I just had to tell you. It was beginning to drive me nuts." He smiled and clutched her tightly to his chest. "I know how you feel, believe me…but I know that if you get too close to me, you will get hurt. Just trust me. I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow night to go get your car. I'd call out of work tomorrow and get some more rest if I were you. Goodnight." He said to her, then promptly turned and walked away to his truck. A single crimson tear slid down his cheek. _I can't, I just can't! She was already hurt once being involved with me._ "Garan…." Crystal mumbled under her breath. She stared at his Pathfinder as he drove off with a longing in her heart that she felt would never be filled. 

She turned and entered her home to be greeted by Chi-Chi jumping up and down excitedly. "At least you still love me right?" she asked the dog as she patted him on the head. She dragged herself over to the bedroom and flopped down on her futon. _Ah, the story of my life. The mysterious man who sometimes tells me he cares for me, and other times won't give me the time of day._ She drifted off to sleep pondering about Garan. 

The alarm went off at 5pm. Crystal rolled over and turned it off. _I don't want to get up yet._ She pulled the cover over her head and went back to sleep. Two hours later, she awoke to Chi-Chi barking and growling at the door. "What the hell is wrong with you dog?!" she yelled at him. He wouldn't stop growling so she got up to see what he was barking at. She opened the door a crack and peeked out to see Garan standing there on her doorstep with his arms crossed, looking as sexy and stylish as ever. He was wearing khakis, a tight tan ribbed shirt underneath an open long sleeve black button down, and his usual silver ankh necklace. "Hello." he said. 

She opened the door for him. "Um, hi! Sorry I overslept, come in." He sauntered in and plopped down on the leather sectional. 

"I need to get dressed ok?" she told him. "Sure, I'll watch." He replied with a grin. 

"Uh…no. I'm going to my bedroom." She said as she disappeared through the door to his far right. _Why am I so attracted to such an arrogant cocky bastard! The way he moves, the way he talks, the way he looks…that's why. Even that arrogance turns me on._ She rushed to put on her favorite pair of bellbottom blue jeans, a cute pink tank top, and a pair of black Skechers sneakers, then quickly checked her hair in the mirror on the way out. 

"I'm ready to go." She told Garan. 

He stared at her for a minute, mesmerized. "You look gorgeous, as you always do." She smiled. "Shall we be on our way?" They walked out to his truck together and he held the door open for her to get in, then walked around and got in himself, and they were on their way. 

They eventually arrived back at Menlo Mall; he parked next to her Porsche and turned to her. "Crystal, I do care about you, but I think it's best for us not to see each other, at least until I straighten some things out. I'm sorry." 

"But why? You won't tell me anything, you toy with my emotions, yet you say you care about me?" Her eyes began to water as she said this. "If I live to be a thousand, I will never understand you." She hopped out of the car, fumbling through her purse for her keys. "You want me out of your life? Fine." 

"No wait!" Garan motioned, reaching out to her. She jumped into her car and sped out of the parking garage. Crystal flew down Rte 1 crying, the other cars and her safety now irrelevant to her. Garan sat in his car, head bowed, still deeply torn. _Why must things be this way?_ He suddenly heard a pelting sound upon the roof of the parking garage and looked up to see that it had begun pouring. 

The rain came down so hard it was blinding, but Crystal paid no attention. She whipped the car around a bend and blew through a merge where she should have yielded. She didn't see the 18-wheeler rumbling down the already slick road. The massive truck tried to brake but the roads were too wet. It impacted the Porsche in the rear, the loud sound of metal crunching was horrid as the car spun three times and finally stopped when it hit a guardrail on the side of the road about 200 feet away from the truck. A tall man jumped out of the truck and started yelling, "Oh my God! Someone call 911!" A thin female figure jumped up behind him and swiftly knocked him out. The woman ran over to Crystal's car and pried the door open. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely from her head, growing weaker with each raspy breath. "This doesn't look good." _Garan, I need you to get here immediately. Something terrible has happened to Crystal._

Garan heard the voice calling for him and drove to them as quickly as he could. He was devastated by what he saw when he arrived. Crystal was nearing death; she had sustained heavy damage to her head and neck. Her body lay lifelessly in the seat of the car. The woman grabbed him by the shoulders. "I think you have to do it, now you have no choice. You can't let her die on us!" 

"I can't do this to her…" Remorsefully, he gently lifted Crystal's head and bit down hard on his tongue, bringing up blood; then bent over and kissed her with tears running down his face. At first it seemed that she was dead, but she started to awaken slowly, pulling his tongue deeper down her throat. Eventually she pulled away and fell back into the car, writhing and moaning. "We'd better get her out of here before the police get here, take her back to your place Garan. I will take care of this mess." The woman said. He laid Crystal down on the backseat in his car and turned around. "Thank you Danielle." 

He quickly got into his car and took off. Once they arrived at his home in Edison, he rushed her inside and put her on his bed. She lay there sleeping while he sat and watched over her. The wounds she had sustained were quickly healing themselves. She awoke about an hour later and gave him a puzzled expression. 

"Do you remember?" he asked. 

"No, I'm so confused right now. I remember driving, and I was in an accident…and I blacked out." 

"You are like me now. You knew what I was long before you met me. I can show you things that you'll only remember if I awaken them," Garan said. 

"Wha…" Crystal began to speak, but just then, a wave of darkness fell over her. 

When Crystal awoke, she was in a stone room. There were heavy cerulean drapes hung around large stained glass windows. Crystal looked up and saw Garan standing before her. 

"Good evening, Dreamer. Did you have a nice nap?" Garan said as he helped her up from the soft bed she had been lying on. 

"Um, Garan? Where am I?" Crystal asked as she noticed that her mini skirt was now a long, crimson gown accented by scalloped lace covering her bodice. 

"Garan, I am no longer, at least not here. Welcome home, Dreamer," Garan said as he bowed low. 

"Why do you keep calling me that? And where the hell am I? This is too weird," Crystal said as she hiked up her gown. 

"My name is Gareth. And you sweet Dreamer, are not Crystal here. You are Lydian." 

Crystal shook her head slowly. "I still don't understand…" 

He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "You will, in due time." 

She laid her head back on the soft pillow and drifted off to sleep with Gareth watching over her. 

She started to dream almost immediately. _"Touching you makes me feel alive." He whispered in her ear. He started kissing her, and then pulled away. "No, we must hurry. I need to get you out of here. Come." He picked Lydian up and took her outside to the black carriage awaiting them. The carriage pulled away swiftly into the night. Lydian cuddled up in the back next to Gareth. He held his beloved close. He looked into her eyes…those piercing blue eyes of his seemed to look right through her very soul. "My lady, I don't want to do this to you. I love you darling. I don't want you to get hurt. I never should have involved you. I never should have fallen in love with you." The carriage came to a sudden halt, the horses cried out in fear. Lydian howled in pain as she was thrown into the side of the carriage. "What is going on?" she cried. All of a sudden a man swung open the door of the carriage and grabbed Lydian. She started screaming at the top of her lungs. Gareth jumped out after them, but this man was powerful. Effortlessly he knocked Gareth aside, right into the carriage. He bounced off and hit the ground. The horses let out a loud-pitched whinny. The vampire disappeared into the woods with Lydian. Gareth heard the voice in his head laughing, mocking him. He heard Lydian's screams echo through the forest and suddenly end. Gareth broke down and started to cry. The river of glistening blood tears left red streaks down his cheeks. He slammed his fist into the side of the carriage and crumpled down to the ground. "NOOOOO!!!!!!!! WHY?!" he screamed. "Why her?! Why didn't you take me? Take me Baldric!!!" _

… And she woke up. 

"That was some dream." Crystal sighed. 

"Did you remember?" Garan asked her. 

"Yes…That mortal was me." She looked away, depressed suddenly. He held her close to him and stroked her long hair, running it through his fingers. 

He looked into her eyes. "But we have been reunited finally, after centuries; I missed you so…I have been searching for eons. Just to find you. I knew I would see you again. I will not make the same mistake this time." 

"So now I am like you…what are we exactly?" 

He looked at her and placed his hands on her cheeks. "You know what I am. You were the only mortal who knew, even if you didn't realize it. We are vampires, immortals, kindred, the childer of Caine. I embraced you and you are now like me. I had no choice, I am sorry. But I couldn't watch you die. I hope you can forgive me. I will teach you the ways of the Camarilla, and our clan, the Toreador." 

Crystal seemed overwhelmed. He continued, "Will you be with me forever my beautiful flower?" 

She hesitated for a moment, and began to cry. _Tears, I haven't cried like this in so long._

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding deeply concerned. 

"Nothing, it's just all so much to take in." 

He held her tightly against him. "I understand your pain. I was not given a choice when I was embraced. My first reaction was denial. I tried to think of fruits, meats, and wine. But the need for blood was overwhelming. I was utterly enslaved to it. No opium fiend in a Lime house or of a Shanghai den was ever so helplessly, so wretchedly dependent." 

She clutched her stomach. "It hurts so much!" she cried. 

"You need to feed, you are experiencing your first torment. Unfortunately blood is a necessity, but only take what you need to survive. You do not need to kill. We can dominate human thoughts so they won't remember." Saying this, he took one of his claw rings and sliced his forearm open. 

"Oh my god…" Crystal cried in horror. 

"Drink." He said as the crimson blood began to trickle down his arm, "It will make the pain go away." 

She stared repulsed for a moment, then leaned in and started to feed upon his open wound. He winced for a second. "Ok, enough." As he pulled his arm away the open wound started to close and heal almost instantly. 

"It doesn't hurt anymore. But why all this? Why me? How do you know I'm really the reincarnation of Lydian?" 

"I've been searching for you for centuries. I could sense that it was you from the moment we met." 

Crystal bowed her head. "This is so much to deal with, I don't know if I can handle it." 

"Don't worry about it my love. You are much stronger than you believe." He placed his lips over hers and she instantly became relaxed. 

Chapter 5 >>>


	5. Ch 5: Reunions

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Crystal awoke in his room; it was nearly sundown. She sat up and looked around. _Where is Garan? What is going on? I am so confused. Garan was my love in a past life? And now what does he plan to do with me?_ Her head was swimming with questions and feelings of uneasiness. She stood up and looked out the window to see her smashed car parked in front of Garan's white Pathfinder. _White and Black, light and darkness, what irony…_ Crystal fell to her knees suddenly. A vision…a shadow approaching her…stabs her in the back. _What was that?_ She stood up, regained her composure, and started walking to the living room. 

The sound of a car rumbling up the driveway distracted her. Crystal ran over to the front door and looked out. It was a brand new black 2002 Ford Thunderbird hardtop convertible. She stepped outside to investigate, slowly walking toward the car. The windows were all tinted limo black so she couldn't see inside. Suddenly the door swung open and Garan stepped out. He walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead while placing the keys in her hand. "What is this for?" she asked. 

"It's yours." He replied and smiled, something rare for him to do. 

"You're kidding. That's at least a thirty-six thousand dollar car!" 

"Forty even, fully loaded. Don't worry about it; I have connections. Just think of it as a gift." 

Crystal was stunned. "Thank you so much. I don't know what to say." 

"Like I said, don't worry about it. Listen, I have to go attend to an important matter. Meet me at the Haven later around 10. You know where it is? It's a popular club." 

"Yes, of course I know where it is! My friend owns the place." 

"Good, now go rest and get ready." He told her as he walked away. She went back inside and called Megan from her cell phone. 

"Hello?" Megan answered, sounding exhausted. 

"Hi, it's me. Come with me to the Haven tonight. Bring whoever you want, Garan wants me to meet him there." 

"Um, ok. I have to take a shower etc., but I'll go. What time?" 

"Meet me there at 9:50." 

"Ok, see you then. Bye." 

"Bye." Crystal hung up the phone and placed it back in her grey Polo sport bag. 

She hurried to shower and put her clothes back on, then got into her pretty new car and headed to the Haven. She pulled into the parking lot and walked over to the entrance. 

Crystal scanned the area looking for any sign of Garan. _It's amazing how my sight has improved; I don't even need glasses anymore._ From outside she could hear people talking inside the club, music playing. 

She entered through the large glass doors into the foyer where a large security guard checked her ID and permitted her to enter. The main room was very dim, there was a dance floor in the middle and round mahogany tables with red chairs lined the walls. Megan spotted her coming in and waved her over. Her friend James was next to her, he looked quite uncomfortable and out of place. Crystal glanced around the room and spotted him finally. He was perched upon a ledge at the back of the room. Garan hopped off the wall and walked toward them. He leaned over and lifted Crystal's chin ever so slightly, and moved in to kiss her. Megan's jaw dropped. "Ok, WHAT have I missed?" she shrieked. 

James started laughing and said, "Aww, they're soo cute. Aren't you happy for them Megan?" 

She grinned. "Yes, but I wanna know when this happened! Just the other day they were ignoring each other…and now this!" 

Crystal smirked. "Well, I am just irresistible." 

Garan laughed, "Yes you certainly are." 

Megan just rolled her eyes. "Ok, we're gonna go grab a table." She and James walked away, leaving Garan and Crystal alone. 

"So…I need to talk to you. I have a lot of unanswered questions still." she said. He nodded and said, "Let's go sit over there." as he pointed to an empty table. They walked over and sat down. Crystal cleared her throat. 

He looked at her and placed his hands on her cheeks. "Your beauty and your vision enraptured me. I had an insane desire to be with you. You were a mortal, and it is forbidden for us to fall in love with mortals. I sincerely apologize for involving you in all this." 

"I understand, it's just fate I suppose. But I felt an instant attraction to you the moment I laid eyes on you. You can't call that a coincidence." 

"True. But believe me, I would never have embraced you against your will. It's just that I had no choice…" 

"Shh, I told you it's ok." 

He smiled. "Come on, dance with me." 

"I can't dance!" she cried. 

He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the seat. "That's alright, you'll learn." They sifted through the crowd together underneath the flashing lights. Danielle watched from afar in the shadows, a thin smile spread across her face. 

Garan held Crystal's hands and started to move with the music. She laughed and tried to keep up with him. "Oh come on!" he shouted over the music, "You were a fantastic dancer, don't you remember?" 

"No!" 

"Ok, you can go sit with Megan and James. They are waiting for you." He released her hands and started dancing by himself, moving incredibly fast and fluid. People around him stopped dancing and started watching. Crystal sat down with Megan and James. They were both staring at Garan too. "Wow, he is good!" Megan said out loud. James gave her a funny look. "Eh, he's not that great." 

She laughed at him. "Jealous?" 

"Of course he is!" Crystal chimed in, making a sweeping motion with her hand. "I think just about every guy here is jealous." 

Garan finished his routine and stepped off the dance floor to a round of applause. He silently walked over to the table they were seated at. "That was great Garan!" Megan gushed. He stood next to Crystal and sighed, "Music is one of man's greatest creations." 

Crystal corrected him. "No, the arts as a whole, not just music." 

James gave him a quizzical look. "So, where did you learn to dance like that G?" 

"Oh, a very long time ago…" his words drifted off as he turned to the main entrance. A strange man emerged from the front hallway. Garan stopped in astonishment and confusion. The stranger was dressed in a black punk band t-shirt with baggy blue jeans and black sneakers. He was about 6' ft tall, a little chubby in the midsection - short black slicked back hair, with intense grey eyes. 

Unexpectedly, Danielle stepped out of a side door from one of the back rooms. Marc was at her side, fashionably half-dressed as usual. She stared at the man with pure hatred as he approached the table Garan and Crystal sat at. Crystal did not recognize him right away. "Hello Gareth, long time no see." The stranger spoke in a snide manner. 

Crystal glanced back and forth between them. _Garan actually seems frightened! What is going on?_

"Get out of here now Paul!" Garan demanded. Paul ignored him and stared past him at Crystal. "Hey cutie-pie!" He said with a wave and laughed. Garan spun around with amazing speed and punched him right in the face. "Whoa!" James yelled aloud. Paul glared at Garan. _You embraced her eh? I will see to it that you regret it. She **will** die again._ Garan held himself back from tearing Paul's throat out right there. Danielle and Marc ran over immediately. "Get out of my club, before I call the authorities." She ordered. 

He licked the thin stream of blood that trickled down from his nose. _You are in love with a mortal now Danielle? That's pathetic. You should stick with your own kind! I could have more fun with this one though…_ Her face instantly switched from annoyed to furious. _You leave him out of this! Get the fuck out of here now Baldric!!_

Paul turned and left as quickly as he came. "Wow, he was a total weirdo." Megan said. 

Marc nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but I like when Garan clobbered him!" 

Garan just sighed. _Thank god he is gone!_ Crystal placed her hand on his shoulder and motioned to leave. They said their goodnights to all. Once they were outside, she asked him how the hell that vampire was following them. "I don't know." Garan answered. "All I know is he still wants revenge on me." Crystal looked rather frightened. "Don't worry." he said as he gave her a hug. "Just go home and relax." "Ok..." she replied reluctantly. 

Crystal hopped into her T-bird and cruised home. She collapsed in bed, passed out, and began to dream. _She and Garan were back in the medieval times again. They were romping through a field of wildflowers. The looks on their faces were ones of joy. Just then, the sky grew black, the sunlight faded. A wave of fear overcame her. All of a sudden, she was standing on top of a cliff, in the middle of a fierce storm. Her hands were bound behind her back. Someone was standing behind her. She felt a sudden push..._ and awoke in a cold sweat. She glanced over at her clock. It read 7:05 p.m. She grabbed the dog's leash and headed outside to walk him. On the way back she spotted a man she'd never seen before staring at her from afar. He had dark wavy hair and gray eyes. _Weird._ she thought to herself. Once she returned she quickly got dressed, hopped in the car and booked up to Menlo. On the way, she buzzed Trinity's phone. 

"Crack heads Anonymous! How may we support your habit?" Crystal heard as Trinity answered her phone obnoxiously. 

"Hey, what's up? Need to talk with you. Meet me at that place you showed me." 

"Ten four. Received," Trinity said as she began to hang up the phone. 

She arrived at the usual spot in the back hallways of the mall just as Trinity bounced up. Crystal looked about suspiciously. 

"Anyway." Trinity said, "What did you need to talk about?" 

"You said you liked an older guy named Paul. What did he look like?" 

"Umm, short black slicked hair, grey eyes, no facial hair, about 6' ft tall." 

"What do you know about him?" 

"He's a fat pedophile, that woke me up once by sucking on me. Really gross." Trinity replied with a disdainful look. 

Crystal motioned shh as she heard footsteps on the stairs. Trinity looked over the railing. "Nobody there." she reported. 

Crystal breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Ok let's get out of here." Trinity led the way and they emerged outside near the arcade. Crystal pulled a clove out of her bag and lit it. 

"Great idea! I think I'll join you." Trinity said, "So why did you want to know about Paul?" 

"Oh, just curious..." 

After they were finished their smoke break Trinity went back inside to patrol and Crystal went to look for Garan and Megan, who, she assumed should both be at the arcade by now. They strangely were not there, so she went down to the middle floor of the parking garage to see if their cars were there. 

Chapter 6 >>>


	6. Ch 6: Baldric

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Crystal walked around the corner of the parking lot looking for any sign of Megan's Firebird or Garan's Pathfinder. Nothing. As she walked past a gray Jeep Wrangler a shadow lunged out of the darkness and pulled her back. A hand covered her mouth and strong arms wrapped tightly around her. A voice whispered and licked at her ear, "You've been embraced. Your body doesn't feel like it's your body anymore. Like you've got a hole inside you that nothing can fill. Your senses are sharper than ever, even though everyone around you says you've lost all touch with reality." Her eyes widened in fright. _Oh my god, what is he doing here?! Gareth! Where are you?_ her head screamed. 

Paul began to laugh. _"Honey, you need to learn how to control your thoughts around me. I can hear everything. I have been keeping my eye on you for quite some time."_

She struggled to free herself from his grasp. "Why are you doing this?" she cried. _"It's none of your business bitch. But I am warning you; you are one of us now. Don't think that will stop me from killing you. Stay away from Gareth. I warn you."_ Saying that he flung her body forward to the ground and disappeared. Just then Megan pulled in. She jumped out of her car and helped Crystal up. "Are you ok? What the heck happened?" she asked. All of a sudden a deep male voice came from a few feet away. 

"Can I help you ladies? Everything all right? Did you know that stupid bitches make me soooo maaaadddd!!!! You ladies aren't stupid are ya? Don't be afraid of me," he said as he stepped out of his hunter green Mazda Miata. "I'm Kenn. You both are looking sooo fine tonight. Are ya sluts? You dress like ones!" They looked up at him and yelled, "Fuck off asshole!!" 

"What the fuck! I thought they just wanted some action. Damn bitches!" He started his car and peeled out of the parking garage. 

Trinity came bounding over. "Hey! Anybody see a buffalo run past? I was chasing it down and wanted to make jerky out of it!" 

"No, but I think Paul was just here," Crystal said. 

"ARGH. No giant penises at my mall!" Trinity said as she began to look pissed. 

Just then, Garan walked up. 

"So there I was! Anyway…" Trinity said as she smiled. 

Garan just stared at Trinity. "If you say that one more time…." 

"I know I know. I'll shut up." 

"Thanks." He looked relieved. 

Garan turned to Crystal. "Come with me, I need to talk to you." 

Crystal nodded and they walked away from Trinity and Megan, practically hearing Megan's eyes roll as Trinity started again with, "So there I was…" 

_Garan, I was attacked…where were you? _

_"I was taking care of some business."_

_I see… _

They strolled over to Crystal's car and got in. "Go to the Menlo Park Diner." He told her. Quickly she drove there and parked. They walked inside and sat down at a booth. The waitress came over and took their orders, two cups of coffee. Garan lit a clove and also lit the cigarette Crystal held dangling between her lips. He grinned and said, "Now you owe me what, 77 years of sex?" Crystal laughed and replied, "Well, I can do that. We have all of eternity now don't we?" 

_"Yes, we do. And I love you more and more each day."_

_What are we going to do about Paul? _

_"That's the 'business' I was taking care of earlier. I went to talk to some old friends. I have someone I want you to meet."_

"Oh really?" Crystal asked sarcastically. 

"Yes, she is waiting outside right now." 

They finished up and paid the check, then headed outside to the parking lot. 

Crystal looked surprised when she saw the car parked next to hers. It was a baby blue Mitsubishi 3000GT. A thin woman with long hair was leaning against it. She was wearing matching powder blue UFOs, and a tight black tank top. 

"Danielle?" Crystal squealed. Danielle looked up, her pale skin reflecting in the moonlight, emerald eyes gleaming, a sly smile spread slowly across her face. 

"Yes?" She replied with a fleeting glance at Garan. 

_"Garan asked for my help. It's time you knew what I am. Paul has wronged both Garan and I. He killed my Merrick as well as you. He must pay for what he's done."_

_I can't believe it, Danielle…you? Kindred all this time? Why didn't you tell me?_

_"I was keeping an eye on you for Gareth until the time was right. Now you are finally one of us, where you belong."_

Danielle jumped on Crystal and hugged her tightly. Crystal was still in shock. "I still can't believe you've been kindred all this time, and you never told me." 

"Sorry, I wasn't allowed to…it's against our code. You don't understand how badly I wanted to tell you everything. When your heart was broken all those times, I so desperately wished I could have told you about Gareth." 

Garan asked, "So Danielle…what do you say we do about Paul? Have you seen him since that night at your club?" 

"No, but he knows about Marc.... You know we Toreador and our fascination with humans." She replied with a huge grin. 

Crystal looked upset. Garan placed his hand on her shoulder and asked her what was wrong. She looked at both of them, her fierce ice blue eyes flashing with anger. "Baldric came after me today. He threatened me to stay away from Gareth…he was acting like there was some grave consequence for us being together. Do either of you know exactly why it is such a big deal to him, to keep us apart? Is there a real reason?" 

The two just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. 

Garan sighed. "Baldric is bloodthirsty, he does not live by the rules of the Masquerade as the rest of us do. He will kill humans and kindred alike on a whim. That's all I can tell you." Unexpectedly, Danielle's pager went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the number. She smiled. "It's my baby! I gotta go…I'll catch you two later and we can finish this." With that she hopped in her GT and took off. 

Garan held Crystal close. "So, what are we going to do now?" she asked. 

"We will figure it out. Just be careful. Watch your back constantly." 

"I will; I am just confused. Baldric could have killed me just then if he wanted to…but he let me go…" 

Chapter 7 >>>


	7. Ch 7: Betrayals

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Jae, Megan, and Rob pulled up in his old Cadillac and stuck their heads out the windows. Trinity and a mysterious stranger followed close behind on her bike. "There you guys are!" Trinity screeched. Garan and Crystal burst out laughing. "How did you find us?" Crystal asked, "That was really weird. Anyway who's your new friend?" motioning to the handsome stranger on the back of Trinity's bike. He was very tall, with gorgeous golden eyes and short dark brown hair that was slicked back. He was dressed rather well in khakis and a Polo shirt. "Oh, this is Alex. We met him at the arcade today. He sucked at Dance Dance Revolution so he was playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2." Jae replied. Crystal greeted him and shook his hand. As soon as she touched him a vision hit her. _She and Garan were together…Alex came up behind them and stabbed her in the back. She cried out in pain and clutched her chest. Blood flowed out from between her fingers. Garan attacked him._ She reeled backwards, as if his hand burned hers. "What's wrong?" Garan asked her. She looked extremely pale and distant. "No…nothing.." Alex gave her a strange look and just shrugged. 

Jae started bouncing up and down. "Come on come on, let's go do something!" he whined. "Why don't we go shoot pool? We haven't done that in a while." Rob suggested. "Fine, we'll meet you there." Garan said as he reached for Crystal's hand. The two headed for her car and got in. She drove him back to Menlo to get his car. They pulled in on the second floor of the parking garage and parked next to his car. He reached over and held her, stroked her long auburn hair. She buried her head into his shoulder. "I know there is something wrong." he said. She reluctantly told him, "I don't know, that Alex character…when I touched his hand…I had a horrible vision. I don't trust him. He is kindred." Garan was silent, as if he knew something that he wasn't telling her. 

They parted ways to meet everyone at Cue & Brew. Crystal arrived first at the pool hall. Garan pulled in right after. They walked in together arm in arm. The gang already had a table. Everyone greeted them enthusiastically. They picked out their cues from the rack and joined in a game of teams. Garan, Crystal, and Jae vs. Megan, Rob, Trinity, and Alex. Garan looked at Alex and asked, "So…where are you from?" Alex raised his head and glared at him. _"You should know who I am, Toreador primogen."_

_Alexander…backstabbing Ventrue. What are your intentions here? I knew I recognized you. You're working for Paul now?_

Crystal looked at Garan, then Alex. "Not here." She said to Garan. 

_She's right. We'll continue this at a later time Alex._ Alex went back to the cue ball and hit it; missed. Garan went next and shot the ball hard, it bounced up off the table right into Alex's crotch. Jae and Rob both winced in sympathy. Alex grabbed himself and dropped down to the floor in pain. Trinity started laughing hysterically. "Are you alright?" Megan asked. He shook his head no. "Oops, sorry." Garan remarked in a very sarcastic tone. "Dude, remind me not to stand across the table from you when it's your turn." Rob said jokingly. Alex got back on his feet and gave Garan a very nasty look. They finished up the game; Garan, Crystal, and Jae won. 

"Hah! We win!" Jae laughed and did a little victory dance around the table. Crystal just sighed and turned to her love. "Can we go someplace to talk? I have a lot on my mind and I have to vent." 

"Sure, we can go down to the beach and chat." 

Crystal and Garan walked out to her Thunderbird. It sat there silently beckoning as if waiting for her to insert the key and bring it back to life. She unlocked the doors and they got in. She started it up and pulled out onto the road heading for Port Monmouth, taking the hairpin curves of the coast road at intoxicating speed. They arrived at the spy house in record time, pulled in to the gravel lot and parked. 

They both hopped out, straining to regain their balance from the loose stone. They walked toward the pier; they could hear waves gently lapping against the jetties. Crystal's heels clacked against the wooden planks; Garan silently glided as if he was floating on air. "Could you call Danielle and ask her to come here?" he asked. Crystal reached into her bag, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed. 

"Hello?" the voice on the other end answered. 

"Hey Danielle, come down to the spy house. Garan and I are here." 

"Ok, be there in 10." 

She hung up and continued walking along the pier with Garan. 

Danielle arrived in 7 minutes flat. She jumped out of her car, sauntered over to Crystal and lifted her hand. "Look! It's an inchworm." She motioned to the small worm crawling up her hand. "Such a beautiful shade of green." She said. Crystal smiled. Danielle walked over to a bush and released the insect. "Isn't it funny how even the smallest things are amusing?" Danielle laughed as the inchworm crawled up a branch of the bush and disappeared into the lush greenery. "It is a trait of a vampire to find interest in everything, and a trait of the Toreador to find beauty in it as well." She turned around to face Crystal and Garan. "You will find many amazing abilities are now in your grasp." Danielle giggled softly. "Watch this…" A small rustle was heard in the distance that got closer and louder. Danielle had her eyes closed, concentrating on something in the deep recesses of her mind. Crystal and Garan looked at each other and Garan smiled at her, full well knowing what Danielle was doing. The rustling got louder and then stopped. A small, black kitten with bright green eyes jumped onto Danielle's shoulder and began purring loudly. It was Loki, the kitten that Marc had gotten her for her birthday. She laughed as she rubbed him behind his ears. "See? You can telepathically speak to animals if you try hard enough. You can do so much, being kindred. I can call upon any animal to help me if need be." She looked at Crystal, who seemed quite startled at the fact that Danielle could do all this, and actually hid it from her eyes the whole time that she knew her. "I can do a lot more, too." She said as she ran over to her car. She popped open her trunk and lifted out a pair of claws. They reminded Crystal of Vega's claws from Street Fighter. "You can use weapons like these with ease- it's funny." She laughed. Crystal's eyes fell to the still open trunk of the 3000 GT and saw it had a pair of Sais and some Chinese stars littering the bottom. Her eyes trailed up to find an emerald green scabbard strapped to the back wall of the trunk. It was a katana with a beautifully decorated dragon handle. It looked expensive. It was made of a shiny chrome- like silver with golden accents, and the dragon had emerald eyes. In it's talons lay a huge circular opal. Crystal looked at Danielle in disbelief. "How did you not accidentally show me any of these weapons? I knew about the Sais, but the sword, and the claws? They are awesome though, don't get me wrong." She looked at Garan. " I want some weapons!" 

Danielle eyed Crystal. "Do you really? I can hook you up if you want." She snickered as she closed the trunk. 

Garan looked at the two girls. "Ok Danielle, time to get serious. I think you should begin explaining to Crystal." 

Danielle turned to her. "Oh yeah, that is why I came here. Ok, here's the story… Paul, Baldric as he was known back then, killed Merrick as I told you. Merrick was my sire, and my lover, my sweet dark prince. Paul is not part of the Camarilla as you now are. The Camarilla is the oldest and most well established of all the sects, and holds many European and "Old World" cities under it's govern. The main ideal of the Camarilla is to keep the Masquerade. In other words, we believe that because Kindred are so greatly outnumbered by kine, and also need mortals to survive that we must live in with humanity, not against it and never reveal to mortals who and what we really are. We uphold the Traditions religiously. Paul is Sabbat, a sect of vampires controlling much of eastern North America. They are violent and bestial, reveling in needless cruelty. The Sabbat believe, that kindred being stronger should naturally enslave human kind and forget the idea of Masquerading themselves, they see it as a betrayal of a vampire's true nature as a killer. They intend to rule by fear and domination, once they have murdered all of the Antediluvians- the oldest and most powerful -and are proud of the fact that they are damned. His clan is Toreador Antitribu, a mockery of the Camarilla Toreador." 

Garan looked really bothered by something. He turned to Danielle and said, "I think, as much as I don't want to do this…I must ask Kuro Hana for his help once again." 

Danielle looked shocked. "The Kuro Hana, Garan? But you remember what happened…" 

"I know…I know…" 

Crystal was absolutely lost. She had no clue what they were referring to. Garan pulled her to him and held her close. Together, they watched the opalescent moon's glow shining on the water. 

Chapter 8 >>>


	8. Ch 8: Hunter

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The sun relieved the moon to the beginning of a new day. Crystal awoke in her room; darkness was all her eyes could see. Since the embrace, sunlight has only been slightly tolerable. She approached her blinds with caution, knowing that the sunlight can be damaging to her. Her sensitivity to the warmth she remembered from days past made her nostalgic. 

Her cell phone rang, the first sound of the day. Crystal glanced at the LCD and saw it was work. 

"Can you come into work today?" was the first thing she heard from that little miracle of technology. It was her boss, Rich. "I told you that I can only work nights. Don't you remember? You are such a jerk sometimes," she said looking at her alarm clock. _9:13 in the morning, this guy has zero tact. _

She clicked the phone off and sat down on her futon bed, still weary of the night before. _What did he mean by he needs more than Danielle's help? And who is Kuro Hana? He can't handle it by himself._ Crystal lied down to take a little break before she started the day's routine. She began to doze off or so it seemed. 

_ When her eyes opened, the dark room where she and Gareth were before spread out to fill her sight. She heard some voices behind a large door, the only entrance to the dimly lit room. Lydian approached the door with caution. The first voice she recognized was Gareth, the second sounded very foreign. The combination of English and a mixed tongue was all she heard. _

_"She must not know about this. I don't want her to think that I am incapable of keeping her here."_

_"Don't worry. I have everything in control. My reputation and family are widely recognized with the kindred."_

_"Please 'hunter', be swift and protect my love."_

_As the words left Gareth's mouth, the door's lock popped and the door creaked open. Crystal nearly toppled over from the surprise and girth of the door. _

"You are awake, good. I need to speak with you. I have hired a protector for you." 

"Who is he? The man you were speaking to was not from this town. And why did you hire a mercenary? Those types are only after gold." 

"He is a friend of the family. His reputation is untarnished. You will like him." 

"I don't feel comfortable with a soldier-for-hire." 

"We will need all the help we can get." 

At the conclusion of their conversation, Crystal was snapped into reality by the sounds of "Heart of Asia". She slid over the other side of her bed, looked at her cell phone; it was Garan. 

"Hey kiddo, where you at?" he said. 

"I am still at home. Where are you?" she inquired. 

"I am on my way to work." 

Crystal looked at her clock, almost noon. 

"Can we meet tonight? 10 o'clock at the mall sound good?" 

"Yeah, sure. That sounds good. I'll see you there. The same meeting spot?" 

"Yup. Talk to you later. Bye." 

She put down her phone and rolled back over again. Contemplating whether or not to get ready, she decided to head for the shower. The warmth of the water over her body felt comforting. She turned the water off and stepped out. The beads of water glistened on her ivory skin. The dampness of the room made her skin tingle. _There is someone here other than me. Who could be here? _

As the thought escaped her mind, a shadow passed the doorway. Frightened, she unsheathed a small silver dagger that was near the sink. Again, the shadow passed. It didn't make a sound. The presence was an evil one, something familiar. She slowly approached the door. The shadow saw her shadow in the cloud of steam in the lavatory. _It knows I know it is here._ She rushed to her room and stood in a defensive stance. Waiting for the nothing. The evil was gone. Whatever it was, it's gone. 

Slightly annoyed and at the same time scared to death, Crystal rushed to gather her things. She dressed in her long black satin skirt with a burgundy lace top. She didn't even stop to put her make-up on or let her hair dry. She ran to the car, not even pausing to check if the front door locked. The engine gave off a small whine as she started it up. Pulling away from her home, she couldn't help but feel she was being watched. 

Crystal didn't know where to go. The car seemed to know. Heading south, she eventually reached her destination. At first, she didn't know where she was going, but then it hit her. _Why am I in Red Bank?_ A window opened and a head poked out. 

" What the hell are you _doing_ here?" said the voice. The glare was obscuring her line of sight. 

She got out of her car to get a better look. Crystal approached the building with caution. She looked up and the head was gone from the window. She heard a noise and a door swung open. A slightly built man appeared from the portal. He was shirtless and there was a large scar on his side. 

"How did you know I was home?" Jae said. 

"Lucky guess, I think," Crystal replied. It dawned on her that she drove to Jae's studio apartment. _Why am I here in Red Bank?_

"Tune in Tokyo, Crystal are you awake? Why are you here? You look like hell. Come inside and join me for a cup of ramen. I was in the middle of a workout when I saw your car." 

They walked into a stairwell, up three flights of stairs and around the bend; it opened up to a very spacious studio loft. The room was centered around a leather couch. The sleeping quarters were another flight of stairs up and were fully furnished with furniture that could only come from Japan or China. In the corner was a tatami mat, a heavy punching bag hung from a large chain; the wall had a variety of swords and other Asian weapons. Jae picked up a Bo staff that was leaning against the marble breakfast bar that was the center of the kitchen. Shiny pots and pans lined a rack that also hung from a chain. 

"So what brings you to my humble abode?" he said with the sounds of Dynamite Rave playing in the background. Jae handed her a cup of steamy soup. 

"I don't know, someone was in my house, I freaked out and left." she said to her cup o' noodles. 

"Do you know who would be psycho enough to break in while you were home?" 

"No" she replied. 

The phone rang, Jae went to the nook where his desk and computer were. He punched a few keys and spoke, "Talk to me." 

"Hey, what are we doing today?" the voice said on the speakerphone. It sounded familiar. "You coming up to the mall?" It was Trinity. 

"I will eventually. I have to finish my workout and run a few errands. You know the usual shit. But I do have a few tokens I want to burn up. Crystal showed up here. Say hi Crystal." 

Deep in thought and fighting the dehydrated peas floating around in the broth with a chopstick she managed to conjure up a reply. " Oh, hi." 

"Hey Crystal!!! Get any from Garan yet?" 

"Trinity! Cut it out. She doesn't need to hear shit like that. I'll tell you about it later. I'll call you when I get there. Okay?" 

"Yeah, I guess. Okay talk to you later. Bye Crystal." 

Jae punched a few keys and the speakerphone hummed off. He popped off another couple of keystrokes and the computer buzzed with more music. Stomp to my Beat hummed out. "Is it bothering you?" 

"What? The music? No." 

He nodded in response and glided over to a large stainless steel fridge. He pulled a carton of orange juice and drank heavily. Crystal winced each time he swallowed. 

"What?!?" Jae looked confused to her response. 

"Nothing…" 

"Oh, okay. I am going upstairs to do the triple S's. I'll be down in about fifteen minutes. Make yourself at home." As he turned to go up to the loft, Crystal noticed a tattoo. _Jae doesn't have ink… A black rose? There is something that's not right here._ The rose was placed on his right shoulder, and a small kanji was just below it. _Hunter. What the hell does that mean? _Jae disappeared out of sight; the sound of running water was heard in the distance. Crystal started falling into a trance. She ended up passing out on his futon. 

"Crystal, you awake?" Jae's voice made Crystal jump into consciousness. 

She blinked forcefully, when her eyes focused, Jae was standing above her. He startled her; she jumped back, nearly cracking her head open on his wall. " You scared the hell outta me! I didn't hear you coming." 

"Sorry, I have a bad habit of doing that to everyone. So where are we going next?" 

"I don't know. I guess we should cruise up to Menlo. You ready to go?" 

"I think so. Give me a minute. I got to check my voicemail. Eh, I'll check it heading to the car." 

Crystal and Jae headed to the far corner of the studio. They walked down a small hall, banged a left and went down a few stairs. The hall ended and a large basement began. The lights flicked on by their movements. A navy blue Kawasaki Ninja with silver trim sat off to one side, a dark blue Celica sat just past the bike, and the familiar old red Celica sat near the door. It looked out of place next to the overwhelming blue that was before it. Jae snapped the cell off and looked to Crystal. "We going together or separate?" 

"I think it will be best if we went separate." 

"Okay then," Jae concluded and moved toward the bike. He fired it up. The hum of the engine was melodic to the ear as he revved the engine. "The door faces your car. I won't close it till you get out." 

Crystal moved toward the exit as Jae streaked past her. She fired the T-bird up and was on her way to the mall. _Hunter…why haven't I seen that tattoo before? Is he hiding something? When did he get all the new wheels? When did he have so much money to buy the new cars? _The thoughts filled her mind most of the ride to Edison. Jae buzzed her a few times before peeling out of sight down Route 1. 

Upon arrival at Menlo Mall Crystal pulled up to the second deck to her usual parking spot. She got out and walked up the stairs to see him dismounting the bike. "Jae…. I thought you only had the red rice burner." 

"I got these a few months ago. The red one is my everyday car." 

"Oh, okay." 

Just then, Jae's cell rang. "Yo! Talk to me…" 

"What took you so long to call me back? I was getting worried," it was Trinity. 

"Crystal and I just got here. Where you at?" 

"On my lunch break, go by the booth, I'm hanging there." 

"Okee." 

Jae buzzed the phone off and flicked the cigarette he just finished by the Pepsi machines. Murmured whispers came from the crowd about Jae's bike. Trinity intercepted them as they entered the mall. "Smoke break! These kids are driving me nuts!!!" 

Crystal and Jae made an about-face as Trinity buzzed by them, her Marlboro Menthol Light already lit as she whizzed the door open. Jae sparked up a Newport and Crystal followed suit with a Salem. The trio walked to the shade of the stairwell. "So you are smoking his brand now? Do tell…" Trinity started, " and whose Ninja is that?" Trinity didn't see that Jae was resting his hand on a silver and dark blue helmet that sat next to them on the curb. 

Jae waved the helmet at Trinity, Crystal let out a small giggle. "Mine Trinity. I thought you knew about it? Oh well." Trinity sat there and drooled over the bike, forgetting that she parked her purple, green, and white Kawasaki down by fire command. 

"Sorry, I must have forgotten about that conversation. So Crystal, what's the deal with you and Garan?" 

"We are dating, I guess. I saw him the other night. We are supposed to meet here tonight after he gets out of work." she said. 

"Cool. So there I was surrounded by mallra…." Before she could finish Jae shot a look as he was exhaling the last drag. "Sorry," she retorted. His muscles rippled underneath his navy blue wife beater. She continued talking. "Playing video games today?" 

"Yup, it's my day off, gonna try to relax a little." 

Crystal, beginning to feel she was intruding excused herself and made her way to the arcade. "What's wrong, hun?" was all she heard as the conversation faded in the distance. 

She walked in the dimly lit arcade; the sound of the bass was all she heard. She inserted a few tokens in a fighting game. By the time she was finished Trinity and Jae meandered in with Rob, Megan, and Wendell. 

"So where is everyone?" Trinity asked. 

"I haven't heard from anyone at all," Jae still had the face of confusion like the conversation they had made him go deeper in thought. 

"Garan was the only other one I heard from today," Crystal replied as she put a dollar into the change machine. 

Jae's phone went off again. The sound of 'Kung-Fu Fighting' was becoming annoying to Crystal. "Someone is mister popular today," Trinity said with sarcasm. Jae stepped aside to get better reception from his crappy Nokia phone. Jae's facial expression turned very somber. "I got to run," Jae said as he tossed his cell into his pocket. 

"But you just got here," Trinity said with a whine in her voice. "You never have enough time to hang out anymore. Good God Dammit!!!!" 

"I'll call you later, I promise," he said as he gave Trinity a kiss on her forehead and a smooch on Crystal's cheek. 

The two girls followed him out to his bike. He fired it up and sped down the ramp to the highway. 

Trinity turned to Crystal. "I have to be back to work after this cig, catch ya laterz?" 

"Yeah, I'll find you in a little while." 

Crystal walked back into the arcade. "Where's Jae?" Megan said when she approached the machine. 

"He split a minute ago. Someone called him and he jetted. He didn't say where he was going or who was going to meet. He just left. I think it was his job calling him in again." 

" I can't believe he would skip out on us!" Wendell cried out, apparently angry at his fellow yellow. 

Jae sped back to his loft. He nearly brained himself on the garage door. He threw his helmet on the futon that he never bothered to put back up after Crystal knocked back earlier. He rushed over to the nook where the computer blinked a text message as he took off his coat. It read: I'll be there in 5 minutes. 

He went over to the fridge for another dose of OJ when he sensed a presence. In one swift motion, Jae spun around and pressed a shiny curved scimitar to the throat of Garan. "Have you ever heard of a doorbell?" he said, lowering the blade and letting out a sigh of relief. 

"I needed to talk to you," he said as he lit up a Salem. "I need your help." 

"The all powerful Gareth needs my help again. Gee, I haven't heard this story before. The answer is 'no'." 

"Do I need to remind you about Lady Ashleigh?" 

"You are a fucking dick! You always get me with that!! It wasn't my fault. There were too many outside elements that involved too many Innocents." He clutched the blade in his hand tighter and tighter until his knuckles turned white. The blade began to rise along with his blood pressure. 

"You need me and I need you." 

"It's him isn't it?" 

"Yes, he found us this time." 

"You must always bring my bloodline into this. I am getting tired of being dragged into these petty dramas. The masquerade is getting boring." 

"You were born into this. You had no choice when your mother did what she did." 

Jae shot Gareth a look that all of his ancestors felt. But it was true. Jae couldn't avoid his destiny and Gareth needed his skills. 

"It involves Crystal too." 

Jae glanced at the photo on his wall of himself, Crystal, Henry, Rob, Danielle, and Marc at the diner. They all had huge grins on, Jae was making the peace sign, and Crystal had her arm around his neck. 

Garan looked at him, waiting for a reply. "I can't lose her again Jae, you know this." Jae slowly walked over to a scroll that was near his training area. He lifted it up, revealing a small room. The walls were lined with a variety of weapons. They were made either from oak or silver. Jae scanned the room for the weapon of choice. The sword was in the back of the room behind a bulletproof glass door. The keypad beeped as he entered the code to unlock it from it's resting place. 

"What are we doing?" Jae asked. 

"I have to meet up with Crystal at 10 o'clock." 

The sun fell again to the night. The air was humid and the fog lingered around Menlo Park. Crystal was leaning against the T-bird smoking a cigarette when the lights began to dim from the nightly timers. A low hum came from the ramp. Crystal stood rigid at attention. Garan's Pathfinder rolled up with another car following it. The dark blue Celica glided to a stop behind Garan. The haze made the car appear to float through the waves of fog. Garan stepped out and greeted Crystal with a long embrace. 

"Get a room!" a familiar voice shot from behind the Nissan. 

Crystal glanced at the general direction and didn't see anyone. 

"The cavalry has arrived. You know him already. He's a dhampir, a half-breed with some unusual talents. Meet Kuro Hana." 

Jae stepped out from the fog bank. A long trench coat billowed in the breeze behind him. He slipped it off his shoulders; " It's getting too hot to wear this thing." 

"Jae?!" she said in slight confusion. The expression on her face was crinkled and deep in thought. _Why is Jae here, Garan? "He is here to help." Help with what? Baldric?_

"I hate it when you types do that. It's like me talking in Japanese when everyone speaks English. You fucking vamps must cut that shit out. Pisses me off when you guys do that." 

_"Shut up Jae."_

"Garan, cut it out. Get out of my head." 

"What is going on here? Why are you here? And what's with the grand entrance?" Crystal demanded to know. 

"Garan… where do we start?" Jae asked. 

Garan inquired of her, "Do you remember the night when you awoke in the room and I was outside talking to someone?" 

"Yes, I had a vision that was like that. Don't tell me that Jae has something to do with this." 

Jae sighed. "I guess I'll start. Kuro Hana means 'black rose' in Japanese. Gareth was friends with my father and my mother. He was there when I was born. Gareth swore to keep my family's secret. It is highly unusual and is looked upon unfavorably by the clans. Mortals are a source of food for most vampires, and some cases minions. 

I was sent to Japan to learn the way of the samurai and to learn how to defend myself. Little did I know that I was being prepared by my father's clan to become an emissary. I was taught to be a noble, a respectable person. But I also was trained in sword battle. When I was sixteen, Gareth came to Japan to return me home. My training was never completed formally. My sensei came with us to England. I continued my training in our estate. It took the whole trip home to tell me what had happened. 

I found out the secret was out. The nation found out about my parents bearing a dhampir. The Sabbat sent an emissary, more like an assassin, to investigate the situation and kill my parents, and me, if the evidence proved to be reality. It was Baldric they sent to England. After my parents' deaths, my father's clan adopted me. The Toreador clan claimed me as their adopted son, even under the scrutiny of the other clans. I, the emissary for the Toreadors proved to be beneficial. The frequent wars between the clans slowed down, almost stopped altogether. 

I was blessed with many vampiric traits. Enhanced strength and speed, and I could still walk in daylight unscathed. I age very slowly, but I do not have their regenerative powers. Being able to move in sunlight proved to be useful to my clan, now my extended family. I hunted the Sabbat most of my days, since they were weakest during their sleep. But I didn't hunt all of the time. I spent many of my days mediating rival clans, most of the time mediating my own clan's meetings. 

My next loss was when my sensei died. I was trained to fight, but I was trained to fight honorably. I lost my father for the second time when he died. We were in the middle of a workout when he collapsed. Gareth was there when it happened; sensei had grown to love him, not like a son but a close friend and brother to me. He went back to Japan with me and was there when my school buried him in the Tokugawa family temple. 

We returned to England. In the passing time, I began to live a normal life. My days were spent exploring Europe finding others of my clan. A large group in Italy was one of the biggest discoveries I had. They taught me the history of the clans. I learned that each clan has a history and all their origins. I returned home a few years later with the knowledge of each clan's behavior. 

I met Lady Ashleigh during the war, the Revolutionary War to be more specific. She was the prince's daughter, and a vampire. I felt safe around her. I was beginning to feel more human, giving in to more of my emotions. Her affection was more of a curiosity, since I was the only recorded dhampir, the first as far as anyone can remember. We grew to tolerate our differences and fell deeply in love. 

When England started losing the war, we decided to move to America. The Prince wasn't too happy, but he gave me his blessing in marriage and we moved out of England. Gareth, Lady Ashleigh, and myself boarded the next ship to America. The trip was a long arduous one. I was the only recorded passenger with two very large coffins packed with my 'dead parents' on my log. Lady Ashleigh and Gareth were in a deep slumber. A minor spell I used to make the trip easier on them. They only awoke to feed. 

We arrived in New Amsterdam; the war was over by the time we arrived. We lived very happily until more vampires started to arrive. The New World was a territory to conquer for the other clans. A feeding ground, but to most, a place to start their own covens. We spent most of our days and nights hunting the Sabbat that came over on trade and charter ships. When steam ships were invented, things got way out of hand. We were killing more than twenty a night. It proved too much for all of us. Still we hunted the rogues, but then we began to be overwhelmed. 

We all took turns going on hunts. I went on most of the hunts because I could walk in the sun. The nights I went on the hunts, Lady Ashleigh and Gareth researched a better way to stop the oncoming plague. That's when I discovered the legend of the 'Slayer'. We searched for the one that could assist us stopping the incoming storm. Every time we caught wind of one, they were either killed or disappeared. The first Slayer that was in America wasn't till the late 1800's. All those damn vampire movies make such a mockery of what I do. 

Baldric came to America finally, but we didn't find out till it was too late. He planned on hunting us down because the Sabbat thought I was such a threat. 

He finally found us; it wasn't pretty. Gareth wasn't around; Lady Ashleigh and I were home on our ranch when he attacked us. We were relaxing for a night. It was the first time I had fought a vampire of his strength. He caught us off guard. The attack came swift and merciless. He went to the one thing I held dear to my life, Ashleigh. He struck her and tortured her while I was helpless. He didn't even attack me. It seemed that it was more personal than business. When I awoke, the sun was rising. He crucified her and left her in the middle of our chambers. 

The foundation was destroyed and the morning sun peeked through the gaping hole in the side of our home. I still remember her cries and pleas when the sun greeted the day. I was powerless to free myself from my bindings. 

I still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat remembering… having to see the one vampire that I truly loved begin to burn alive in the sunlight, the one thing that can't harm me. 

Gareth returned a few hours later only to see our home destroyed. He freed me from the binds that Baldric put on me. I rushed over to her remains and vowed to destroy him. 

I buried her in the field where we spent many nights watching the stars and picking wild flowers. Now here we are, Baldric is back and it's my chance to avenge her death." 

"Oh." she said speechless. Crystal didn't know what to say. Her thoughts were still processing the information Jae told her. Gareth was in the shadows smoking another cigarette. 

"You done yet?" 

"Go fuck off Gar, Ashleigh thought of you as a brother, don't you speak like that about her." 

Jae's face went from angered to strained. He unsheathed his sword from his shoulder. 

"He's here. I can sense him." 

Paul stepped out of the shadows and applauded. "Excellent story Jae! I am so pleased you remember me." 

Jae grimaced and quickly turned to yell, "Crystal, go with Gareth, get out of here! Go now!!" Paul disappeared into the shadows again. 

Garan and Crystal both ran downstairs to their cars. "Crystal, get in!" Garan ordered. "No, I won't..." was her reply. 

The fog began to get thicker; the only sound was the hum of the lights. Jae scanned the garage for anything that might give away Baldric's position. A shadow moved off in the distance. Jae moved silently to pursue. "Be careful, stay focused on what you are doing." The thoughts of fear, anger, hate, and all the emotions were running through his mind. He finally got to where the shadow was. _He's near…_ "I can sense you." Jae spun around and struck with his blade. Metal met with metal. The strikes were perfectly met with flawless parries. The battle was like a choreographed movie. Jae struck, Baldric parried. Baldric attacked, Jae dodged or parried. 

_I am not gaining any ground. I better regroup._

Jae flashed off a quick set of strikes that threw Baldric off balance. The warrior turned and ran toward his car only to be stopped halfway by Baldric. Jae swung his sword furiously and managed to disarm him. He swung his deathblow only to catch air. 

"Coward! Fight you coward!! Can't face me!?!" 

Jae sheathed his sword. He moved toward his car. He turned around to look behind him. "Something is not right." Baldric came over the rail to punch Jae, but missed miserably. Jae dropped to the ground and rolled against his car. He misjudged how far he dodged. His head hit the door, dazing him. Baldric went to strike again and hit metal. Jae appeared behind him and gave him a swift kick to the back of his head. The roundhouse connected, sending Baldric over the Celica's hood. Jae slid across his hood to smash his heel against Baldric's forehead. Another connection. _Okay don't get arrogant. He's playing with you._ Baldric reared up to his full height, standing a few inches taller than Jae. The fists and feet began to fly. Each had their fair share of connecting and missing. Jae was beginning to get fatigued. The battle was longer than he expected. 

Jae swung around to catch Baldric in the throat. But he was gone again. He spun around to see where he had escaped only to be met with a blade in his chest. The pain was more than unbearable, as Baldric twisted the blade further into his heart. Jae screamed in pain, as his assailant smirked. "Say hi to Ashleigh for me, when you see her in hell." 

Baldric pulled the sword from him, and Jae slumped to the ground. The concrete felt warm to his dying body. He looked around to see if Baldric was still standing over him. He was gone. Jae tried pulling himself up with the last of his strength. He fell to the ground. He looked at his blood soaked hands. His vision began to blur a little. He started fading in and out of consciousness. The fourth time his vision cleared, a white security truck pulled up. A female guard ran out and he heard frantic cries into her radio. 

Crystal clutched her head and cried out in pain as she sensed Jae's life energy departing. "No, no, no, no…." she whispered to herself, horrified. "Not Jae…" 

Garan immediately knew what had happened and they ran upstairs to see Jae lying in a pool of his own blood, with Trinity by his side. 

"Trinity, help me…." He tried calling to her with the little breath he had left in his lungs. 

She dropped the radio and fell by his side. "Oh my God, oh my God…" She placed her hand over his wound trying to stop the bleeding. Tears began to fall from her cheeks. 

"Help!! Somebody HELP!!!" she cried out into the foggy night. 

"Trinity, don't let me go…" 

"Save your breath. The paramedics are already on their way." 

The sound of sirens began to fill the garage. Edison police and an ambulance screeched to a halt in front of them. Men started to pour out of the vehicles. 

"Trinity, there is something I want to tell you," he said straining for breath. 

"Shhh… hun, save your breath. Help is here. You are going to be alright," she said to him trembling and trying to hold back from crying again. 

"There is so much I want to say right now… Trinity…I want to say…" Jae coughed, a small stream of blood began to trickle from his mouth. _Ashleigh, I am finally free now. _

"Don't say it, I know already, I already know," she began to cry uncontrollably. She held his head and stroked his spiky blond hair. 

"I want… to say… that …I….." his body began to convulse and then relax. All the life that was left had escaped his body. "Don't go…don't go….please…. don't leave us….me" she began to cry; her tears falling on his face and neck. The paramedics pulled her off him to start administering first aid. She fought them every step of the way. Trinity watched as his shirt was torn off and the medics defibrillated him. She turned away not wanting to witness it. One of the paramedics declared, "He's already gone. Time of death 10:48 p.m." 

Garan looked back for a moment before they left. _Jae…why did it have to happen like this?_ A single glistening crimson tear slid down his pale face. _I haven't cried in centuries. My friend, my brother, may you now rest in peace. And may you finally be reunited with the Lady Ashleigh."_

Chapter 9 >>>


	9. Ch 9: Marc

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Marc was outside his house in the driveway, washing his baby, the green 99 Grand Am GT, when his cell phone rang. He flipped the hose to his left hand, unclipped it from his pants and pressed the talk button. 

"O-hi-o!" he answered. 

"Hi Marc. It's Crystal. How you doin?" 

"I'm chillin. Just woke up a lil while ago, I'm…umm…" his train of thought trailed off as he remembered that Danielle was supposed to be with her today and asked, "Where's my baby?" 

"She's here with me. We decided to come down to Seaside: myself, Danielle, and Megan." 

"What are you guys all the way down there for?" 

"We wanted to come to the beach, take a break from the usual." 

"Oh, I see. What time is it now?" 

"About 9 pm, we'll be leaving in roughly an hour. Why are you washing your car at 9pm??" 

"How'd you know….?" He wondered but went on, "washing your car in the sunlight is bad for it supposedly. Anyway, ok, I guess I'll see you later at the diner…" he was cut off abruptly. 

"Marc! Marc! Answer me! What happened?!" Crystal cried, but all she could hear were Marc's fading screams and something that sounded like a wolf attacking. 

"Oh my god…." She whispered, horrified, staring, and very distant. Megan looked very worried. "Danielle, I think Crystal is in shock." she said. 

Danielle grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "What's wrong?!" she screamed, "Why did you yell 'What happened?' Where's Marc? Answer me!" Crystal could only shake her head as she stared at the ground. "I don't know…" she whispered, "He was attacked I think…" _My mind must be playing tricks on me, but I swear I heard a voice through the phone, a voice that wasn't there…it said, "You are coming with us now." _

Danielle started to cry, "No no no, I can't lose Marc…I already lost Merrick. I will not lose him too!" A flood of crimson tears began to stream down her cheeks. Flocks of seagulls flew down and sat there staring as if they heard Danielle's anguished cries. Crystal hugged her close so Megan wouldn't see the blood on Danielle's face. 

_Gareth!_ Crystal's mind cried out to him. 

Garan was at his shop doing paperwork. He wanted to keep Jae's death as quiet as possible, though he was sure that everyone would know soon. Suddenly he dropped to his knees on the floor. _Crystal, I feel her. Something is gravely wrong._ He quickly gathered his things and ran out of the shop, stopping only to lock it up. _Hang on Crystal; I'm on my way._ He started the truck's engine and sped out of the lot. The rubber tires squealed as they tried to grip the pavement on the fast turns. 

He flew down Rte 1 then 9 to Hwy 35 going between 75-80 mph, luckily not catching any police on the way. He veered off to Hwy 36 and turned right by Airport Plaza onto Middle Rd. Finally he arrived at Marc's house. The green Grand Am was parked in the driveway, nice and clean. Garan got out of his car and walked around the yard. _The smell of death is still here. What would they want with Marc? _He walked up to the door and knocked. A petite woman answered the door. "Hello, is Marc home?" Garan inquired. 

The woman shook her head and replied, "Marc left before I got home so I figured he was out with Danielle." 

"Oh, thanks anyway." Garan said goodbye and got back in his truck. 

_What is going on here? I need answers._ Garan headed for the Parkway and shot down to the exit for Seaside. 

Meanwhile Danielle, Megan, and Crystal were wandering along the boardwalk. Danielle had calmed down substantially. Megan was worried about both of them. They stopped by a stand and Megan got something to eat, then sat down on a bench near the beach. 

Crystal had another vision. _Marc being jumped on by a wolf, the wolf morphed into a human form. He was dressed in a leather jacket and blue jeans. He had long black hair and appeared to be Asian. Marc tried to fight him off but he was no match for the vampire. He bore down on Marc's neck until the little Puerto Rican passed out, then he tossed him in the trunk of a car that pulled up, a black Mercedes-Benz, of which all the windows were tinted pitch black so that you couldn't see inside. The vampire got in the passenger side and they took off. _

_What was that? Is that what happened to Marc?_ She wondered. Danielle was calling her name as she came out of her trance. "Crystal? Earth to Crystal, wake up." Crystal shook her head. 

Megan sighed, "Thank god you are alright." 

"Yes, I'm fine. Garan's on his way." Crystal announced. 

"Really?" Meg squealed, "I haven't seen him in so long! I miss him." 

"Hehe, you don't know the half of it." Crystal told her with a sly grin. 

Danielle looked off into the sand, watching the water ebb in pools along the beach like the warm sweet blood of her victims. "Marc…" she whispered remorsefully. 

Garan arrived in Seaside finally. He parked the car and tossed a few quarters in the meter then headed straight for the boardwalk. _The scent of the ocean…I love it so much._ As he got to the top of the stairs it opened up to a vast boardwalk, a wonderment of arcades with bright flashing lights, people laughing and yelling, the scents of delicious food wafting everywhere. He stood there for a second and just looked around, taking it all in. Crystal sensed his presence. _We're to your right._she told him. He started to walk down the boardwalk and spotted the girls next to the fence. He called out to them with a cheesy accent, "Hey sexy women!" The girls turned around and laughed. Crystal ran up to him and put him in a death grip hug. "I missed you honey." she said. "I missed you too love." he replied. 

_An Asian looking vampire who had the ability to transform into a wolf kidnapped Marc. He wore a black leather biker jacket and blue jeans. They threw Marc in the trunk of a black Mercedes and took off. Any idea what's going on? _

_"I went to Marc's house and he was gone, his mother thought he went out with Danielle."_

Danielle looked like someone had just torn her heart out. Megan stood there staring at the three of them. "Something is up that you three aren't telling me. I'm not stupid. You all look like your best friend just died." she said. Crystal laughed. 

"No Megan, nothing wrong at all." Garan told her. 

Megan didn't quite believe him but she shut up. The four of them sat there for a little while chatting, then headed off to meet at the Town & Country Inn, their favorite diner. 

They arrived at the diner and sat at their usual corner booth. Their friend Henry pulled up not 5 minutes after they arrived. He walked in and looked at Danielle wide eyed, "Oh my god! Danielle's here?! Wait, where's your other half?" Danielle again fought back tears and Megan hugged her. Crystal answered for her; "They had a big fight so Marc's in NYC." 

"Oh." Henry shook Garan's hand, "What's goin on man?" He gave the three girls hugs, and sat down. Carol the waitress wandered over and greeted him. "Hello hon, haven't seen you in a long time. Coke and a pizza bagel?" "Yes please. And a pizza bagel to go too." he replied. They sat and chatted for a while. 

A black Mercedes pulled in next to Garan's Pathfinder. The windows were tinted black as pitch. As Crystal stared at it, everything slowly fell into place. That's the car that I saw in my vision. Danielle stared at the car, also recognizing it. The driver swung open the door and stepped out. It was Alex, the handsome young man they had met at the Menlo Diner. Danielle leapt over the table and in one swift movement was out the door. Henry's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "Whoa, what the hell was that about?" he sputtered. Crystal turned to the window to see Danielle outside screaming in Alex's face. 

"What did you do with Marc you asshole?!" she cried. 

Alex smiled coyly. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

"You're a liar!" Enraged, she focused for a minute, and a black Great Dane came running up next to her. It bared its teeth and snarled at Alex. 

Alex started laughing. "So you're the bitch who can call upon creatures…such a useless ability!" 

Garan and Crystal walked up behind them. Garan looked at them. "What's going on here?" 

Just then, Trinity cruised up on Jae's rice burner bike with his helmet strapped to the back. Henry emerged from the diner, hopped in his Cougar and drove home. 

"Trin! You okay?" Crystal said as she walked over to her. 

Trinity's make-up was streaked down her face; she tried to wipe off the mascara. She attempted to fix this and her hair as she answered Crystal. 

"You haven't heard yet?! Jae's…" she said as she sniffled. "He's dead. Some fucking dirt bag stabbed him on deck two. I can't believe I've lost my best friend. I…I…" Trinity said as she began to sob again. She buried her head in her hands hugging Jae's helmet, her tears glittered like tiny stars as they slid down its round dark blue surface, making it appear slick and polished. 

"Oh my God! Are you going to be okay?" Crystal asked, trying to look surprised, as she called to Garan. 

_Get over here now! She's losing it!_

Garan and Danielle came bounding over. 

"Trinity! Are you alright?!" Garan asked. 

Trinity picked her head up. "Jae's dead." 

"WHAT?!" Danielle cried. 

A feral scream escaped Danielle's throat. The dog cringed and started whimpering. Her eyes turned from gold to a bright chartreuse yellow, and she bared a glistening set of pearly white fangs. She grabbed Alex by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him close. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "If I find out you harmed Marc in any way, or had anything to do with his kidnapping, I assure you….you will die." 

A great white owl screeched above them. It circled the air and landed on Alex's shoulder. "Ah, Nolan…there you are." He said to the bird. Trinity scoffed, "Who the hell is that supposed to be? Jareth??" 

Everyone shook their heads at her bad joke. Even the owl seemed to be laughing at her. Trin started bawling again and passed out on the bike in her exhaustion. Alex nodded and the owl hopped off his shoulder and landed on the pavement. He began to morph and grow larger, forming a man. The talons became feet, and the wings became his arms and hands. He had long straight jet-black hair. His eyes stayed the same eerie yellow they were in his owl form. 

There before them stood a strange vampire, he was somehow different from themselves, even from Alex. He was of some Asian origin; that much was clear. Crystal remembered him from her vision. "You, you're the one…you kidnapped Marc!" she cried and pointed at him. Garan held her to him. _Not here Crystal._ She held back the rage boiling inside of her, telling her to rip his throat out right there. 

Nolan, as he was called, was silent. He just stood there. A smug smile spread across his face. Alex stepped in. "Time we go Nolan, we'll finish this business later." He said. They both got into the Mercedes and peeled out of the lot. 

Danielle yelled after them. "Come back here you cowards!" The tears began to well up in her eyes and she slumped to the ground. "Come back…come….back…." 

Crystal stepped up behind her and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry hon, we'll get him back. He'll be fine." she said trying to console her friend. 

Chapter 10 >>>


	10. Ch 10: Nolan

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Alex and Nolan pulled into the driveway of a large warehouse. They got out of the car and walked through the large steel doors into a dreary barren room. Marc was sitting in the middle of the room in a large iron chair. His hands and feet were bound together with rope. A large piece of tape covered his mouth. As they entered he lifted his head and glared at them. Nolan smiled at him and looked to Alex for his next order. A deep voice echoed from the other room. "She is upset, yes?" it said. 

Alex laughed, "Yes, very much so." 

"Good, let's fuel the fire further." 

Nolan nodded, tore the tape off Marc's mouth, and grabbed him by his head jerking it sideways. Nolan viciously attacked him, sinking his fangs deep into his external carotid artery. Marc's eyes went wide and he uttered a small cry. He had been bitten before, but not like this. This was brutal; Nolan tore into him sucking out his lifeblood. He finally released him, Marc's head fell forward nearly lifeless. He tore his wrist open with his teeth and shoved it toward Marc's face. The warm blood dripped onto his lips as Nolan forced his arm closer. He tried to fight it as the images of his sweet Danielle swam through his mind. But it was useless in his weak state. He could already taste the blood in his mouth and he knew it was too late. 

"Fuck your little Toreador bitch, you're Gangrel now!" Nolan cackled as Marc faded out of consciousness. 

It seemed like days had passed by the time he finally came to again. _Where am I?_ His whole body ached. He felt the thirst foremost. It burned through his whole body, his very being. _This pain is unbearable, agonizing… _

Nolan released Marc from his bindings and stood him up. "You need to feed my friend." He said. "Come, follow me." Marc, still dazed, did as he was told and they got in the car and drove away. 

Danielle, Crystal, and Garan were all back inside the diner after things calmed down. Garan had put Trinity in his car to rest for a while. The three of them sat silently contemplating the situation at hand. 

Danielle leapt up and stood facing them. "Something's not right. We need to find my baby. Now." Crystal and Garan got up as well and decided to go search for him. The three walked out to Garan's car. He turned to them and asked, "So, are you ready?" 

"Just go." Danielle mumbled as they hopped in and pushed Trin into the trunk. Garan threw his car in reverse and hit the gas. He exited the parking lot and headed south on Highway 35. 

"Crystal, where should we go?" he asked. 

"I dunno yet, just keep heading south." she replied. 

Chapter 11 >>>


	11. Ch 11: Requiem

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Nolan drove to the town make-out point, Beacon Hill. He stopped the car and dragged Marc out. He pulled him toward the first car they saw, the black Escort ZX2. Inside there was a young couple fucking their brains out. Nolan laughed. It was a pretty little redhead and a tall thin guy with blond hair. He tore off the driver's side door, Marc followed suite with the passenger side. The girl started screaming. "Calm down Melsa." The guy told her. Nolan grabbed him by the neck and dragged him out of the car. Marc jumped into the car with the screaming bitch and feverishly tore into her naked inner thigh, sucking on her great saphenous vein. She floundered about for a few seconds and fell silent. His head lashed back, he licked the blood from his lips as he dropped the girl's lifeless body. Nolan had finished and was waiting by the Mercedes for Marc to finish. 

"Ah, you've done beautifully!" Nolan congratulated him as he came strolling back to the car, eyes still glowing green. 

"This is good shit!" Marc said with a sly grin. Nolan put his arm around his shoulder and said to him, "You were a perfect choice." A fleeting image of Danielle appeared in his mind and his eyes faded back to brown. "Come." Nolan commanded. They hopped back in the car and took off. 

Danielle, Crystal, and Garan had turned off to Highway 36 now. Trinity, in the back of the Pathfinder, finally regained consciousness. First thing out of her mouth was, "So there I was, in a car full of vampires..." 

Danielle turned around and waved her hand over Trin's eyes, putting her back to sleep. 

"Weird motherfucker." she said. Garan and Crystal just smiled and laughed. They turned onto Twin Lights Rd. There wasn't much traffic due to the time of night, so they moved effortlessly through the streets. 

Paul stared, watching the white Pathfinder from his perch atop a nearby building. He had a carefree look on his face, yet he portrayed menacing with his empty dark eyes and black leather trench coat billowing in the wind around him as he crouched. _Gareth, after all these years…you still haven't learned a thing._

Crystal fell over into Garan's lap as another vision hit her. _A large warehouse, Paul's place? A street sign...Atlantic Way..._ Garan grabbed her with one arm and steadied her. "What is it?" he asked. "I think I know where they are. Turn here." she replied. 

Garan parked the car on Atlantic Way and they piled out and started walking. They spotted the large looming warehouse up ahead. The door hinges were rotting off, and vines were crawling up the walls. It looked like it hadn't been inhabited for years. Garan ran in ahead of the girls. "Wait for us!" Crystal yelled to him, but he was already gone. 

Marc and Nolan had arrived at Nolan's home, a large lavishly decorated townhouse. "I hope that naive girl fell for my trick." Nolan said to him. Marc just shot him a dirty look. "What?" he replied with an innocent smirk. 

Marc just shook his head and leaned against the wall with a sigh. 

"Come with me, I'll show you a good time my friend." Nolan said. 

"Sure, why not?" Marc replied. 

"Good, just what I want to hear. We're going to visit a lady friend of mine. You'll like her." 

Marc followed Nolan around the back, where two motorcycles awaited them. One was a Yamaha, black and silver. The other was a Kawasaki Ninja, a beautiful shade of dark green with chrome wheels and trim. Nolan straddled the black bike and pointed to the Ninja. "Take that one." He said. 

Marc's face lit up like a small child on Christmas morning. He immediately jumped on it. "It's green man! I love it!" He cried as he started the engine. Nolan pulled out and he followed. They sped along Hwy 36 to the Parkway. There was absolutely no traffic so they flew down at about 100 mph, feeling the exhilaration of the breeze as they cut through the wind. They got off the Parkway at Exit 98. Nolan finally stopped at a large house by the beach. "Well, here we are." he said. 

Marc looked at the house. It was gorgeous. Very old-fashioned hand-carved wood adorned all the doors and windows, and the porch spindles were carved into the shape of intertwining ivy. An equally gorgeous woman answered the door. "Hello Nolan. Who's your friend?" she inquired. "This is Marc. Marc, meet Aubrey." 

"Mm, handsome ones you manage to choose Nol." She said. 

Marc took her hand and kissed it gently. She giggled. "And such a gentleman he is as well!" 

They followed her inside, to a large room. An exquisite chandelier hung from the ceiling. There was a large glass coffee table centered in the middle of a satin ivory sofa and loveseat, and two lounge chairs. Nolan flopped down on one of the lounge chairs. "Make yourself at home Marc…Nol already has." She said as she walked into the kitchen. 

Nolan looked at Marc and back to the door that Aubrey had just exited through. 

"She's pretty hot isn't she?" he said with an innocent smirk. 

"Oh yeah, definitely." Marc replied, seemingly distant. "What clan is she?" He asked. 

"Aubrey is Toreador. There are a lot of Toreador around here. They love the beauty and serenity of the ocean I suppose." 

Aubrey emerged from the kitchen with a tray of drinks in hand. "I brought out some of my finest red 'wine'." She said with a smile as she handed glasses to each of them. "It's ok if I smoke in here?" Marc asked her. 

"Yes, you may." 

He lit up a Newport and just stared at his drink for a bit, his mind started to linger on thoughts of Danielle. 

"Nothing!" Crystal cried, "There is absolutely nothing in here!" She kicked the wall in anger. "Calm down." Danielle said. 

"Where's Garan? He did come in here didn't he?" 

"Yes he did..." Danielle whispered to herself. 

"So where is he?" 

Loud noises were heard from above, startling the girls. 

"What was that?" Danielle screeched. 

"Let's find out." 

Crystal ran around to the ladder on the side of the building and bolted up to the rooftop. She glanced around at the rubble of smashed bricks and broken pipes. Danielle got to the top and as she saw what was there cried, "What the hell is going on?! There's nothing here!" 

"No, but they were here. I can still smell them in the air. They were fighting." 

"Who?!" 

"Garan…and Paul and Alex." 

"Well where are they now?" 

Garan was walking back down Atlantic Way rather beaten, his clothes were torn in multiple places. His normally slicked back hair was a mess, going every which way. _That fucking bastard attacked me when I least expected it. His memory trailed back to the fight that just occurred. He walked into the warehouse to find Paul and Alex standing there waiting for him. "Baldric, what are you doing here?" "I am here to settle a score." "What score?! You took Jae's life you fucking piece of shit! He was like my brother, but you wouldn't know about that, would you? I have a score to settle with you." Paul lunged forward and grabbed Garan's throat. He whispered in his ear, "She was MINE, you had no right to take her from me!" As he said this he threw Garan across the room and disappeared upstairs. He quickly followed._ Garan snapped out of it and started walking faster. 

_What the hell am I gonna do about him? He's strong, yet he is toying with me. What is he planning? I need to find the girls, make sure they're alright._

Danielle and Crystal headed back out to the car. They saw Garan walking down the street. Crystal ran to him, and hugged him tightly. She noticed all the tears in his clothing, and his tousled hair. "Are you ok? Oh my god, what happened?!" 

"Nothing, I'm ok." 

She gave him a strange look, as if she didn't quite believe him, but let it be. 

"Seriously, are you ok?" Danielle asked him. 

"Yes, I'm fine." 

He looked to the foggy night sky. _Where are you Paul? Are you waiting, watching? _

Marc was sitting alone in the living room contemplating while Nolan talked to Aubrey outside. They came in and sat down with him. "What's the matter Marc? You look troubled." She asked him. 

"Oh, nothing…I'm just worried about my baby." 

"Hmm?" Aubrey looked puzzled. 

"The love of my life…Danielle." 

"Oh…you've got a lady waiting for you somewhere?" 

"Don't worry about her Marc, she's fine." Nolan interrupted. 

"Yeah, you're probably right." Marc sighed. 

"Of course I am." 

"Come out back with us Marc, there's something I want to show you." She said. 

Aubrey led them out through the back door past a beautifully landscaped pool complete with a waterfall surrounded by stones. 

"Here we are!" she said, "Now THIS is a view." 

Marc looked on in awe. She had led them out to a jetty behind her beach house; beyond it stretched a vastness so gorgeous one would wish to stand there lost in gaze forever. Its beauty was purely indescribable by words alone. 

"But its beauty is incomparable to yours Aubs." Nolan said with a sly grin. She shot him a dirty look and he laughed. "Dawn comes soon, we better get going." Marc pointed out. "Yeah yeah, you're right. Let's go. To the house!" Nolan ordered as he jokingly pointed like a character out of an old war movie. 

Marc shook his head and walked inside. 

Garan, Danielle, and Crystal headed back to the car in silence. The girls could sense that Garan was very irritated. They finally arrived at the car and got in. Danielle looked in the backseat and noticed that Trinity was gone. 

"Hey guys…where's that weird girl?" 

"What do you mean? She's gone?!" Crystal cried. 

"Where the hell could that bitch be?" Garan screamed, now extremely agitated. 

"Yo Gar, calm down." Danielle said. 

He whipped his head toward her, eyes flashing, and growled "I AM calm. That's it, we're leaving…I don't care." 

"Oki, I gotcha…" Crystal muttered, _There's something going on here that Garan isn't telling us...I smelled Paul here. "Yes, he was here. I walked into the warehouse and he was waiting for me. Our little battle ensued, and that's that."_ She glared at him. _"You know I have no trouble reading your thoughts."_ he replied with a coy smile. _Yes, and I don't appreciate it, thank you._ They hurried home to beat the coming dawn. 

Chapter 12 >>>


	12. Ch 12: Alexander

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Alex was sitting, waiting patiently at the Highlands warehouse for Nolan and Marc's return. He looked deeply troubled by something. The back door opened and Paul walked in. "Where's Nolan with Marc?" he asked Alex. 

"They should be back any minute." 

"Good, Nolan knows I expected him to be here so they had better hurry." 

"Paul, why are you doing this? I'm just wondering. You never told me why." 

"I have my reasons. And they are private." He said with a rather nasty tone. 

Alex just let it go and went back to his pondering. 

Not even five minutes later, the rumble of motorcycle engines were heard pulling up and Nolan burst through the door with Marc following behind. "Hey, what's up Paul?" was the first thing out of Nolan's mouth. Paul just stared at him. 

"You're late." He spat out angrily. 

"Look man, I'm sorry…I was just showing Marc here a good time." 

"Listen, don't fuck with me. When you are told to be here at a certain time I expect you here, got it?" 

"Yes sir." 

Paul turned and headed downstairs to the basement to his coffin, still very much pissed off at Nolan's arrogance. "Come on Marc, let's crash…I'm beat." Nolan said. 

"Ok, sounds good." He replied as he plopped on a couch in the dark corner. Alex glanced over at them from his chair across the room; his eyes stopped on Marc's now sleeping form. _Am I truly doing the right thing? I've wronged Danielle by assisting Paul, maybe for all the wrong reasons._ He thought to himself. He shook his head and headed upstairs to the loft to get some rest as well. 

When he finally awoke it was after 7 pm. He went down to see if Paul or Nolan were still there. All three of them were gone. _I wonder where they disappeared to so quickly?_ He got changed into a pair of khakis with a white polo shirt and a pair of black shoes, then headed outside and got in his Mercedes. He started it up and drove away. 

He stopped in front of Crystal's townhouse and looked to see if her car was there. It wasn't. He drove around the corner and lay back in his seat to wait. After about an hour, the black Thunderbird finally came rumbling up the driveway. Crystal and Danielle stepped out of the car. They stood there chatting as they got their stuff out of the trunk. Alex stepped out of the car and walked over to them. Danielle noticed him first and started yelling, "What are you doing here you scumbag?!" 

Crystal spun around to meet Alex face to face. 

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you." He assured, "I want to help you." 

"HELP US??? Hahahaha! You're kidding right??" Dani scoffed. 

"No, I'm serious…I swear." 

"The word of a Ventrue traitor eh? Why should we believe you?!" 

Crystal finally spoke up. "Danielle, let him speak. I sense no malicious intent. Besides, we have no other leads right now." 

He smiled at her. "Thank you." 

"Let's go inside to talk. Follow me." Crystal led them inside and the girls sat down on the couch in the living room. Alex sat in the chair to their right. 

"Nice place." He said to Crystal. 

"Thanks. I put a lot of work into it. So Alex, why don't you start?" 

"Right. As I said, I want to help you. I know where Marc is." 

"Ok, but why should we trust you? You've been working with Paul, and you helped kidnap Marc." Crystal asked. 

"Yes, this is true, but I realized it is wrong. The only reason I helped Paul in the first place was because I owed him a favor. And quite frankly, he scares me. So you realize what a huge risk I'm taking by betraying the Sabbat." 

"Indeed…but you don't have to do this you know. You are risking your immortal life." 

"Never mind me. Would you like my help or not?" 

Danielle was sitting quietly contemplating. 

"So…you'll tell us where Marc is, just like that? There has to be a catch." 

"No catch. I just want to see Paul destroyed. But it's not going to be easy. He has many kindred loyal to him, including Nolan. Nolan is not typical…he's from the far east originally, where he was embraced. He is very old and his power is awesome. You've seen his shapeshifting abilities already. Well…he was the one who embraced Marc." 

Upon hearing that Danielle leapt up. "Marc was embraced by HIM??!" she cried. 

"Well, that's the thing…Marc has taken to him very quickly. They've become fast friends and Marc….well, Marc has already made his first kill." 

Silence fell across the room. 

"Oh my…" Crystal whispered. 

Danielle was silent. 

"Well, I better get going. I'll call you to arrange a meeting." 

"Ok, let me show you out." Crystal said. 

As he stepped outside, a figure lunged at him out of the shadows and put a knife to his throat. Alex's eyes went wide. 

"Garan?!" Crystal screeched as she ran out behind him, "What are you doing here? He is here to help…stop it!" 

Garan turned to her and slowly lowered the knife. "Explain." 

Alex let out a sigh of relief. Crystal went to hug Garan but he pushed her away with a cold look. 

"So, why is he here? You'd better explain quickly." 

"He's here to help us I swear, he wants to help us rescue Marc." 

Garan scoffed and then started to laugh at her, "Are you really that foolish? You should know this is just one of his tricks to try and trap you. Stupid woman…" 

Alex shot him a dirty look. "No, this isn't a trick. I'm being honest." He said. 

"You've been around for over a century now Alexander, and you've never been _honest_." Garan retorted. 

"Ok, so maybe I've made a few mistakes in the past…but I want to redeem myself." 

"Bullshit." He replied and walked away. 

"Gar, wait!" Crystal yelled. 

"No, I'm not gonna wait. Not for you." He said as he got into his car and took off. 

"Shit! What the hell is his problem?!" she muttered. 

"I don't know, but I must go. I'll call you later." Alex said. He walked over to his car and sped off. 

"Great, just great!" Crystal mumbled to herself. She went back inside to talk to Danielle about what happened. 

Chapter 13 >>>


	13. Ch 13: Forlorn

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Megan and Rob were at the arcade playing Dance Dance Revolution with Wendell and Matt. Rob and Wendell just finished up a round of Dead End on catastrophic mode and they were sweating like crazy. "Come on Wen, smoke break." Rob said. Wendell nodded, grabbed his stuff and followed him outside. Megan was already out there with Matt talking to James. They joined the trio in a social smoke. 

James intervened Megan's typical gossip with his usual line, "Who are these bags of shit you speak of?" She turned and just looked at him with the silliest of faces as he said, "That would be you miss…." and smiled. Rob just gave him a funny look. 

As they were all conversing Garan came flying up the stairs of the parking garage, rather aggravated. "Hi Garan!" Megan called to him and waved. He just gave her a look and stormed into the arcade. "Eww, bitch." she said. Rob and Wendell looked at each other and shrugged. Inside the arcade Garan headed straight for the Dance Dance Revolution machine. He hopped up on the platform and inserted his tokens. His first song selection was 'Stomp to My Beat'. He started to play, trying to focus on the arrows and the music to forget his anger and frustration. 

Outside Megan, Rob, James, and Wendell were still smoking and talking. A baby blue Mitsubishi 3000GT came tearing around the corner of the lot, it came to a stop right next to the group. They all stopped and looked. "Danielle and….Crystal?!" Rob said in astonishment, "What are you guys doing here?" "Hi!!!" Megan yelled and waved at them. James walked around to the passenger side and grinned at Crystal. 

"Your favorite person's inside." He told her. 

"So he is here! I knew it." she said. 

Crystal hopped out of the car and Danielle drove off to find a parking spot. She headed inside the arcade, and there he was in the middle of 'Drop Out' on catastrophic mode. As he finished the song he spun around to face her. 

"What are you doing here?" he muttered. 

"I was looking for you. I need to talk to you about what happened." 

"Nothing to talk about. I obviously can't trust you to not get yourself in trouble. Just the way it was in the past." 

"What the hell are you talking about?" 

"I only showed you some things about your past. There are reasons why these things are going on that nobody knows, not even Danielle fully understands them." 

"Then why don't you tell me?? You don't talk to me about anything!" 

"It's for your own good." 

"No! This is bullshit. I can't go on like this, with you never telling me how you feel. I care too much about you…." 

She began to cry and ran outside. Garan stood there with a dumbfounded expression on his face. 

When she got out to the lot she looked around for Danielle, James, Wendell, Megan, Matt, or Rob. Not one of them was in sight. The sky was dark and cloudy. She stood there looking like a lost child; sobbing so hard she was shaking. Garan came out behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned over and lightly kissed her cheek. "I'm so sorry." He whispered in her ear. It began to downpour, thunder rumbled in the distance. She turned around to face him. Her bloody tears mingled with the pouring rain as the drops hit her face. "I can't take this anymore." she sobbed. 

Garan was quiet. "Let's get you out of this rain. Come on, we'll talk in my car." he finally said. She followed him down the stairs to the second level of the parking lot to the Pathfinder. 

Megan, Danielle, Rob, James, and Wendell were on their way back to the mall. They had gone over to the local McDonald's to get some food. All were riding in James' Bronco. "Why did Matt have to go home so early?" Rob whined. "Cuz he is a poop!" Megan said as she started laughing and threw a fry at him. James gave her a look. "Aww, shut up you cracker-ass cracker!" she told him as she picked up the fry off the floor, "See, all better?" 

Danielle started cracking up. Wendell was too busy scarfing down his food to notice anything going on. James ignored her and popped in a CD, the Diablo II soundtrack, and cranked the volume. "Yes!" Rob cheered. Megan glared at James and yelled, "You whore!" over the deafening music. He just stuck his tongue out at her. 

They finally arrived back at the mall. The Bronco tore up the ramp loudly as James hit the gas. They turned the corner on the second floor to see Garan leaning against the side of his truck. James pulled up next to him and parked. Danielle and Wendell were first out of the tailgate. "Hey Garan, what's up?" Wendell said. 

"Umm…wait, where's Crystal??" Danielle asked. 

Garan shot her a dirty look, and she shut up. Just as James, Rob, and Megan piled out a black Mustang GT tore out of a parking space a few spots down the row. A man nobody recognized was in the driver's seat accompanied by Crystal in the passenger side passed out. "What the hell is going on?" Megan said. 

Rob looked over at the car, "Hey, isn't that Crystal?" 

"Yeah, but who the hell is the other guy?" James said. 

They turned to Garan for an answer but he had vanished. "What the fuck is going on here?!" Rob screamed. 

"Wait a sec, Danielle's gone too…." Wendell said. 

Crystal awoke in the car around an hour later, still driving. She didn't recognize any of the surrounding area they were driving through. _Where am I? What happened? I can't remember…_ She turned to sit up straight and got a good look at the man driving. He was tall, a little over 6 foot. Dark waves cascaded down to frame a handsomely sculpted face with gorgeous gray eyes. He turned to her and smiled. "Good, you're awake." he said. 

"Who are you?" she replied. 

"My name is Gerard. I am an old…very old, friend of Garan. He explained the situation and asked me to take you someplace safe." 

"Oh…but why? Why isn't it safe? He won't tell me anything; someone must know the answers. Surely you do!" 

"I do. I will explain to you once we arrive at our destination." 

"No, you have to take me back! I need to talk to Alex, and help Danielle find Marc!" 

"I'm sorry, I can not. Garan ordered me to keep you here until he says otherwise." 

"Please….please….he can't handle this by himself. Stupid arrogant bastard! Why does he have to do this alone?!" 

He did not answer; they rode in silence. 

"Wait a minute! You! You're the one that's been following me!" she cried. 

"Yes, it was I. I watched over you when Garan could not." 

Gerard turned off on a small dirt road surrounded by trees. The road opened up to a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a small house. He parked around the back and got out. Crystal got out as well. 

"Here we are." He said, "Come inside, and I will explain all to you." 

She followed him through the back door into a scarcely furnished room. There were two chairs and a small table in the center. "Sit." He ordered. They sat down at the table and he began to talk. 

"So, you want to know the whole story do you?" 

Megan, Rob, Wendell, and James were still at the mall. They had walked up to the top floor of the parking garage and were standing in a circle chatting and smoking. "So….is anyone else weirded out?" Megan asked. 

"I dunno, maybe Danielle and Garan had to go somewhere." Rob said. 

"I don't know either, but I have to go. I got work in the morning. See you guys later." James said as he shook Rob and Wendell's hands, gave Megan a hug, and headed to his car. 

Wendell looked at Meg and Rob, "So…what are we doing?" 

Garan had jumped over the second story ledge of the lot and walked around the side of the mall, Danielle saw him and followed. She caught up with him and spun him around. "Gareth, what are you doing?! Why did you let Gerard take her?" 

"I have my reasons, I trust him and I don't want to see her hurt anymore." 

"Oh, and you think sending her away will solve it? You're still hurting her! And she won't be safe from him if he wants her. You and I both know this. Sabbat are relentless." 

"No! He can not have her. I am going to go find him and finish this once and for all." 

"You're crazy! You can't take him alone. It's suicide!" He ignored her and headed back up the stairs to the parking garage to his car. Megan, Rob, and Wendell were already gone. Garan turned to see if Danielle had followed him; she thankfully had not. _So, it begins. _

Crystal sat there quietly, wanting and waiting to hear Gerard's tale. "Where shall I begin? Oh yes…when I first met you. The year was 1768; Gareth and I were out one night at a local tavern we frequented. We heard screams outside and ran to see what had happened. You were standing out there screaming and crying. Baldric was attacking your husband at the time; he was killed. Gareth threatened him to stop, as you know…we don't kill humans. That is how they discover we exist and hunt us down, but the Sabbat don't care. Baldric turned and laughed at us, then dropped your husband and ran to grab you. I tried to get to you first but he was too quick. He wrapped his arms around you and started to slit your throat with his fingernail. You fainted immediately. Gareth was enraged by Baldric's arrogance so he ran up behind him and pointed his sword at the nape of his neck. He ordered him to let you go so he dropped you. I caught you and pulled you away to safety in our carriage. A group of mortal men emerged from the tavern demanding to know what was going on. Baldric threatened that he would come back for you and took off. Gareth joined me and we brought you back to his house. He healed your wound and put you in a bed until you awoke. When you woke you didn't remember much, we told you that your husband had been murdered. You were in shock at first, but you took to Gareth very quickly and he fell in love with you. He used to tell me that there was something about you that intrigued him so much, even though you were mortal. But this did not turn out to have a happy ending. Baldric did find you again like he had promised. One night while you were out together Gareth noticed him lurking around in a tavern you two were at. He didn't want to worry you so he said nothing. He kept his eye out for him throughout the evening but never caught so much as another glimpse of him. All of a sudden there was a great ruckus outside. He ordered you to stay there and he ran outside. From there you pretty much know the rest of the story. Baldric was the vampire who snatched you from the carriage and killed you." Crystal sat there in silence, letting what he had told her sink in. "Are you ok?" He asked her. 

"I'm fine, but there is more isn't there?" 

"Yes, there is…I'll sum it up for you since I am tired and I'm sure you are as well. Gareth and Baldric have been bitter enemies for centuries. You know the story of Kuro Hana as well right?" 

"Yes I do." 

"Ok, then you know about Ashleigh and how Baldric killed her. What you probably don't know is around those times Gareth and Kuro Hana had murdered Baldric's mate at the time as revenge for Ashleigh…and for you. No great loss in my opinion, Baldric's woman was nastier than he was. She was Lasombra, totally ruthless. The Sabbat have been after Garan and Jae ever since. That brings you up to date I think." He smiled at her, "Would you like to get some rest?" 

"I am pretty beat, I could use some sleep." Gerard showed her to her room, wished her goodnight, and went to his room to sleep. 

Garan was heading down Hwy 36 to the Atlantic Highlands. He turned down a small unpaved road that led to the dirty old warehouse. He parked his truck in the front and got out to look around. As he walked around the side of the building he heard a noise from behind. He spun around; it was Alex. "What are you doing here?" Alex asked. 

"Where's Paul?" 

"He isn't here, and I'd suggest you leave before he returns." 

"I will not leave. I will finish him this time." 

"Are you crazy? If even Nolan comes back you'll be in deep shit." 

"Where's Marc? Is he with him? Tell me!" 

"Yes, he is." 

"Where? I know you know." 

"They're down at Seaside if you want to try and find them." Garan didn't even reply, just ran off, hopped in his truck and sped away. 

He flew down the Parkway and turned onto the Seaside exit ramp. Once he arrived he paid and parked in the lot, then proceeded to walk around looking for any signs of Marc or Nolan. After walking around the boardwalk for about 2 hours, he finally gave up and headed back to the parking lot. _Alex fucking lied to me._ As he was walking through the aisles of the lot he spotted Marc getting on his motorcycle. "Marc! Wait!" he screamed. Marc turned to look at him, gunned the engine and sped off. 

"Motherfucker!" Garan cursed as he kicked the garbage can next to him. He ran to his car and started it up, then peeled out of the lot in search of the little Puerto-can. He caught up to him getting on the Parkway, stuck behind a line of cars at the toll. Garan clipped the rear of the bike as Marc tried to evade him. The bike crashed into a pole, sputtered, and died. Marc tumbled for a few feet and lie still in the grass. Garan stopped his car and got out. He approached Marc slowly, cautiously. Marc was groaning, half out of it. He struggled to get back on his feet, his wounds already healing. Garan leapt to grab him and put him in a headlock. "Marc!" he screamed. Marc fought and squirmed to escape his strong grip. But Garan was much older and more powerful. "Marc, I'm not letting go until you calm down and talk to me." 

"What's to talk about?" Marc replied. He caught Garan off guard and wrestled out of his grasp. Garan desperately tried to grab him again but Marc turned and swung, connecting with Garan's cheekbone, knocking him to the ground. Garan turned and spat out, "Danielle for one. Why are you doing this?! She loves you and you love her. Did you forget all that?" 

Garan got back on his feet and kicked Marc in the back of the leg, making him fall to his knees. He looked up at Garan dolefully and said, "I…I…I lost it when they took me away and sired me. I got caught up in the thrill and forgot what was important. I was sure that you weren't going to accept me anymore after all, I'm a Gangrel now. I was afraid. I'm sorry." 

Garan smiled, "Why wouldn't we still accept you? I'm sure we can get over the boundaries of our separate clans. Welcome back. Ready to go see Danielle now?" 

"Yes, but one thing first…Head or gut?" Marc asked. 

"It's about the bike isn't it?" Garan replied with a smirk. 

"Yup." 

"Go ahead, hit me as hard as you can." 

Marc pulled back and pummeled him in the chest. Garan bent over in pain for a second, then walked toward the car. He turned to Marc, "Coming?" 

Marc laughed and shook his head as he headed to the car. "Wait, can we load my bike in the back first?" 

"Yeah, sure." 

Chapter 14 >>>


	14. Ch 14: Reunited

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"One thing, where's Nolan? Alex told me you were with him." Garan asked as he drove up HWY 35 to the diner. 

"Oh, he had left before me. Paul had called him away….something important." 

Marc fiddled with his pocket and pulled out a pack of Newports. He proceeded to light one. "Yo Garan, don't you think that they'll come looking for me?" 

"I'm counting on it my friend." 

"O I C. So you're using me as a type of bait." 

"Hopefully." He answered as he lit a cigarette himself. 

"So…how are we gonna beat them?" 

"We'll figure something out." 

Garan and Marc pulled into the lot of the Town & Country Inn. Danielle, Rob, Megan, and Wendell's cars were all there. As soon as Danielle saw the truck she again flew over the table and out the door. Before Marc could take two steps she had him in a deathgrip hug. "Oh my god! I missed you so much! Are you ok?" she screeched, and started kissing him before he could even answer. Garan smiled at the reunion they had all been waiting for, and walked inside to give them some time alone. As he approached the table Rob was the first to greet him. 

"Yo Gar, what's up?" he said as he shook his hand. 

"Not much. I settled the fight between Marc and Danielle. I had to go all the way to NYC to find him." 

Wendell shook his hand next; Megan hopped up and squealed, "Garan!" as she hugged him. Carol the waitress sauntered over and took down everyone's order, save for Garan. 

"I actually just stopped by to say hi, I really have to get going." Garan said. 

"Already?" Megan whined, "But you just got here!" 

"I know, but I have important business to take care of." 

"Alright man, take care." Rob said as he again shook hands. Megan and Wendell bid him farewell and he walked back out to his car. Danielle and Marc were sitting on the cement wall waiting for him. "Garan, what's the plan here? I know Paul will come for Marc, and for Crystal. You need to have Gerard bring her back. She's safer with you." Danielle said. 

Marc inquired, "But why is he after Crystal? I don't know that whole story…" 

Garan cleared his throat. "I'm not sure myself. And to top it off Jae and I killed his lover. So he's out for revenge as well." He replied with a sly grin, "For now, why don't the two of you go home and get some rest? I know it's been a very long night. Meet with me at Crystal's place tomorrow night at dusk. And watch your backs." 

Danielle nodded. "Understood." She closed her eyes and a hawk flew in and circled over her head for a moment. It landed on her shoulder. _My friend, keep a watchful eye over us_, she asked of it. It once again flew up and circled over her. Garan chuckled, "That is a good idea actually. Good day, I'll see you both tomorrow." 

Garan got into his truck and drove off. Danielle and Marc got in her car and she headed up Hwy 35 to her house. She looked in her rearview mirror; the hawk was still following them. 

Garan arrived at his destination, the old house where Gerard and Crystal were. He called to Gerard telepathically. _Come, let's go._

Gerard ran into Crystal's bedroom rather hastily. "Crystal, wake up. We have to go." He said as he gently shook her sleeping form. It was dark again already, though no light shone through the barricaded windows any time of day. He escorted her out to the car and held the door for her. She clutched his arm and asked, "What's going on Gerard?" 

"You're going home." 

_Why can't I go with Garan?_ she thought to herself _Does he hate me so? I don't understand._ Hearing her agonizing thoughts, Garan winced...almost as if he was in pain, but got in his truck alone and drove off. Gerard and Crystal followed in the Mustang. 

They arrived at Crystal's townhouse to wait for Danielle and Marc. Inside, Crystal still felt uneasy. She sat next to Gerard on the couch, and stared at Garan while he was pacing back and forth. _I hate this. I don't know what to say or do right now._

_Gerard, why is he acting this way?_ she inquired. 

_"Sweet Lydian, you can only imagine what he's been through for you, and how much he fears losing you again. You should go talk to him."_

Crystal looked at him and smiled, then got up off the couch to approach Garan. She gave him a big hug from behind and his cold hard look softened. He turned around and kissed her forehead. "Thank you." he said, "I needed that." Gerard looked out the window. _I wonder what is taking Danielle so long...._

Chapter 15 >>>


	15. Ch 15: Pretender

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The 3000GT sped down the highway, and as it approached a tight turn, an object appeared in the headlight's beam. It was a person sitting in the middle of the road. Danielle swerved to avoid hitting them and pulled over to the side of the road. "What the hell are you doing in the middle of the goddamn road, huh?!!" Danielle yelled angrily as she swung open her door and stepped out of the car. "Danielle, get back in the car - come on, let's just get to Crystal's house." Marc said to her. The vampire looked at her lover with an irritated expression. "That asshole almost made me run my car off the road and ruin it, and you want me to just get in the car and forget about it?!" She shrieked. Marc looked at her, and shook his head in disbelief. 

The hawk started to cry, and Danielle looked up. "What?" She asked the hawk. When she turned around to continue yelling at the person sitting in the street, she realized they were gone. "What the fu--" She started and was cut off abruptly by a female lunging at her. "Jesus!!" Danielle gasped as she dodged her attacker. The female jumped back into the shadows, and all Danielle could see were two silver- blue eyes shining like marbles hiding in the brush. A guttural voice snarled at her. "Marc is coming with me." Danielle scoffed at the still unidentified female, and looked over at her car, which was too far away to try to get her weapons from. She wondered why she hadn't armed herself before getting into the car. She knew this would possibly happen. The hawk continued to circle above them. Seeing he could do nothing, she thanked him for helping out, and dismissed him from his duties. The hawk flew off, and Marc, finally realizing why Danielle was taking so long to get back in the car, stepped out. "Marc! Get back in the car!" Danielle screeched at him. The female in the shadows snickered. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the one I have been searching for..." Marc looked over at the glowing eyes. "Who are you?" he asked angrily. 

The figure stepped out from her hiding spot and jumped at Marc. He tried to fight her off, but he lost his balance, and fell square on his back. She jumped on top of him and started clawing at him. Marc was frozen as he recognized his attacker. It was Trinity. "Trinity!!" He yelled. "Trinity?!" Danielle exclaimed in response to his cry. Trinity stopped mauling Marc for a second. She laughed arrogantly. Marc tried to push her off of him, but for some strange reason she felt much stronger than him. She stood up, and dragged Marc up with her. "Don't make this hard on yourself. Just come back with me." Trinity snarled. 

"Let him go.... NOW." Danielle demanded. 

Trinity turned her icy glare to Danielle. "Oh, so the little bitch wants some more, huh?" she spat out. 

Danielle closed her eyes for a second. Trinity threw Marc like a ragdoll 500 ft past the 3000GT, which was a good 50 feet away. He lay there, unable to move, paralyzed from the shock and trauma of what just happened. Danielle's eyes snapped open, glaring right into Trinity's. A roar sounded in the distance. No one seemed to notice. Trinity smirked at Danielle and started to approach her. "You know why I am so strong, don't you, Toreador bitch?" Trinity asked. "I'm Sabbat, Paul's progeny. I am blood bound to the Sabbat. Marc is no match for me, which is why I was created and sent out to get him back. Sabbat is oh- so brutally strong compared to the normal ho- hum vampires you and all the rest are. You should be no match for me either, blade master. What good are you without your weapons? Hmm? You may be older by what? 7 years? But you're still a baby vampire yourself, so why don't you just give up?" She continued. Danielle just cracked her knuckles and inhaled deeply. 

The wind picked up, the trees lining the deserted highway rustling. A large, black shadow moving extremely quickly was approaching. Trinity didn't notice. Her eyes were completely fixed on Danielle. She screamed as she lunged again at Danielle. At the exact time Trinity screamed, a deafening roar filled the air. A huge black cat, which appeared to be a panther of some sort, pounced on Trinity, knocking her over. It snarled at her, baring bright white teeth. It had bright green eyes that reflected in the moonlight. It's large paws rested on Trinity's shoulders, pinning her to the ground. She tried to wriggle out from under the hulking beast, but it sunk its silvery claws into her flesh. She gasped as the panther growled louder; it's hot breath in her face. "Good boy Majin." Danielle praised, as she patted the beast on it's broad back. She took the katana that was strapped to the cat's back off, and slung it over her own shoulder. 

"You.. you know this thing?!" Trinity stammered coarsely. 

"I OWN this thing." Danielle corrected her sternly. "His name is Majin Hyou. It means Devil Panther in Japanese. I'm sure you know why he is named that by now, no?" Danielle continued. "He is bloodbound to me. Has been since I was embraced. My sire brought me him as a gift, for protection. He hasn't let me down since. He has all the powers of a vampire. The speed, strength, healing capabilities... but you will find that out soon enough, sweet Trinity. 

_Should I kill her Danielle?_ Majin asked Danielle telepathically. 

_No... let's play with her for a bit._ she replied. 

Trinity looked at the panther on top of her and then at Danielle, who seemed to be plotting against her. "Uhm... can you get your cat to get off of me?" Trinity asked ever- so politely. "I guess so." Danielle replied, and motioned for Majin to let go of her. The panther stepped off of her, and walked over to its owner and sat down. The cat came up to a little higher than Danielle's elbow. Trinity stood up, brushed herself off, and turned around. She wondered what she should do next. Paul would kill her if she came back empty handed. 

Danielle turned around, and as she did, Trinity jumped at her again. This time Trinity met the blade of Danielle's katana, halving herself cleanly, falling crumpled on the ground. "Damn!" Danielle cursed. She pulled a Zippo out of her pocket and lit Trinity's remains on fire. Marc stirred, and shakily stood up. "What happened?" He asked as he looked around. Danielle looked at him, as did Majin. He gasped. "What the hell have you been feeding that kitten?!!" 

Chapter 16 >>>


	16. Ch 16: Decisions

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Garan sat down with Crystal on the couch and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry." he whispered in her ear. "I understand, it's ok." Crystal replied with a smile. Gerard looked out the window again and announced, "Danielle and Marc are finally here." 

Danielle burst through the door looking a bit frazzled. "Well, we don't have to worry about what happened to Trinity anymore…she's dead." she proclaimed. Marc followed in behind her, "Yeah, she was trying to take me back for Paul. What does he still want with me?" Garan jumped off the couch, "What?? He turned her? That son of a bitch..." 

Gerard spoke up. "It is of the utmost urgency that we figure something out now." 

"Yes, Marc…why don't you tell us what you know?" Garan inquired. Marc and Danielle both plopped on the floor. "Well, you already know Paul has a vendetta against you and Crystal. Alex seems to be torn at this point, and Nolan could care less. That is all I know. Nolan told me nothing after he sired me." 

Garan looked thoughtful, "So wait…who is Nolan...and why is he helping Paul? I've been around for centuries and I've never.....seen a vampire such as he." 

"To be honest with you, I don't know much about him…he sired me, but never told me anything about himself. So I can't help you there. I don't even know why he is helping Paul; he barely listens to him." 

Garan sat there quietly, deep in thought. _Who is Nolan really? It seems his motives are uncertain. I get this strange feeling that I've met him before, a long time ago._ "Well, there's nothing more we can do now. Tomorrow at 9 p.m. meet me at the parking garage at Menlo, we'll take one car. We're going to go find Nolan." he told them. Everyone nodded in agreement and headed to their cars. Danielle looked back at Garan as she walked out the door. "Watch over her." She said to him with a silly grin on her face. 

Garan laughed, "You better watch over Marc." 

"I will...bye!" she waved as she closed the door behind her. 

Crystal looked at Garan. "Do you think finding Nolan will really help us?" she asked. "I have a gut feeling it will. Call it intuition. Hey, why don't you come stay at my place tonight? I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone. And I do still have a business to run." She nodded in agreement; they both got in his truck and headed for his home. 

Paul arrived back at the warehouse and slammed the door shut as he entered. Alex poked his head out from around the corner. "So, how did it go with Trinity?" he asked. Paul just gave him a dirty look and walked away. 

"Ah, that well huh..." 

He heard a motorcycle pull up and park. A minute later, Nolan sauntered in. "Hey Alex, what's up?" he said, "You look like you just got bitch slapped." As he said this he started cracking up. 

"Let me ask you something. Why do you work for Paul?" 

"Work for Paul?! HAHAHA...you have got to be kidding me. I've got my own agenda. I do what I please and I work for nobody. He may think I'm under his control but he knows nothing. I had my own reasons for siring Marc." 

Alex looked dumbfounded by his response. "Oh." 

"So anyway, where is Paulie-boy? Is he upset that his plan backfired?" 

"I guess so...he just walked away when I asked him." 

"Hmm...well, I'll see you later!" Nolan said as he walked out the door. 

Alex walked out to his Mercedes, started it up, and drove away. 

Chapter 17 >>>


	17. Ch 17: Destiny

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Crystal drove over to Garan's scuba shop at 8:45. He had already closed up shop and was sitting outside smoking a cigarette. She ran over to him and gave him a big hug. They quickly made their way across the street to the mall in his car. Danielle and Marc pulled in at 8:58, and Gerard arrived at 9 on the dot. "Ok, everyone's here." Danielle said. 

"Marc, do you have any idea where to find Nolan?" Garan asked him. 

"Actually, he likes to hang out at The Cove on Thursday nights. He usually looks for a hot young girl to have fun with then he feeds on her." 

"Ok, Marc, Danielle, you come with Crystal and I. Gerard, you wait for us at my place." 

Gerard nodded his head in agreement and headed back to his car. The rest of them piled into Garan's truck and headed down to The Cove. 

They arrived at the very crowded lot and parked all the way at the back. The four of them piled out of the truck and walked to the side door. They entered into a large foyer with a row of payphones and a door on the left. "Damn, it's loud in there." Danielle said. 

"Yeah, Thursday is live band night." Crystal said matter-of-factly. 

Garan turned and looked at her. "Since when do you go here?" Crystal shrugged innocently. 

"Let's go." Marc told them, "I know he's here." 

They all headed in and looked around. "This place is nuts." Garan said. Marc spotted Nolan right away. 

"He's right there at the bar." 

Garan approached Nolan and tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around and snapped at him, "What do you want?" Then when he recognized who it was he calmed down. "Oh, it's just you. What are you doing here?" 

"I needed to talk to you." 

"About what?" 

"Paul, and how to protect Crystal" 

"That is none of my concern." 

"You would be a great help to us." 

"Leave me alone." Nolan replied coldly as he pushed Garan aside and swiftly headed for the door. 

"No! Please!" Crystal ran up and grabbed his arm. As soon as she did, another vision hit her. _A small grey stone house, a young man out in the field painting. A vampire watched him from the shadows. As the young man walked inside, the vampire followed him. He turned around too late, and the vampire pinned his shoulders to a large wooden table. The young man screamed for help and tried to fight off his attacker, kicking and flailing. The vampire effortlessly threw him into the wall and knocked him unconscious, then proceeded to feed. When he was done he bit into his lip and kissed him, letting his blood flow into the young man. Then he disappeared._

Crystal dropped Nolan's arm in shock. She turned around, paler than ever. "Oh my God…….Garan, he's your sire!" 

"WHAT?!" Danielle shrieked. 

Garan looked quite taken aback. "You mean you…are the one that did this to me?" 

A grin spread across Nolan's face. "You got me. It's true, it was I that made you what you are now." 

"You motherfucker!" Garan pulled back and swung at him, but Nolan caught his fist mid-swing. A rather large, heavily tattooed bouncer with long brown hair walked over to them. "What's going on here?" he asked. They all vanished quicker than he could comprehend. _"What the hell?"_ he thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes. 

Outside in the parking lot Garan tackled Nolan to the ground. Nolan just laughed and flew backwards a few feet into the air, leaving Garan standing there. Nolan floated back down and landed in front of him. "Settle down and let me explain." Nolan demanded. 

"Ok, lets hear what you have to say." 

"My real name is . I am almost one thousand years old. I came from ancient China, one of the very few Toreador from that area. As you know, most vampires in China have no clan; they are tortured souls, kuei jin, as they call themselves. One from Europe embraced me along my travels. I studied the ways of protean in my homeland, learning all that I could. The reason I am here is because the Sabbat have invaded China. The Camarilla controls most of Europe, but they have no havens in Asia. I have tracked the Sabbat's covens back to the east coast of the United States. But this Paul, he has become a thorn in my side. He has quickly risen in the ranks of the Sabbat. That combined with the fact that he's been after you, my childe. I knew you would go to her Gareth, and take her for your own this time, and together you will stop him." He paused and looked at the awestruck Marc, "And yes Marc, you are not a Gangrel, but a Toreador." 

"Huh?! But you said…" 

"I know what I said, but I was lying to Paul and Alex. I've been keeping an eye on Paul for a very long time, gaining his trust and respect." 

"How do we know any of what you're saying is the truth?" Crystal asked. 

Nolan stepped up to her, lifted her chin ever so slightly and stared straight into her eyes. "Now why would I lie to a pretty lady like you?" 

Garan clenched his fists. Marc put his hand on Garan's shoulder and shook his head no. 

Garan scowled, and stormed away angrily. 

Nolan exhaled deeply, and looked over at Garan, who was still fuming. He took a step towards Crystal, and Garan abruptly turned around, and glared icily at him. "Stay away from her." He snarled. 

Nolan laughed and turned his back on Garan. "Do you really think that I will obey my very own childe?" He said as he laughed again. He was obviously trying to get on Garan's nerves, and it was working quite well. Crystal stood up, and looked from Garan to Nolan with a displeased look on her face. "Can we please stop this? We have things of much more importance on our hands than your petty battles!" She said with a stressed out tone in her voice. 

Nolan lit a cigarette and hopped up onto the hood of Garan's truck. 

"So would you mind telling us what the fuck you're up to?" Marc demanded. 

"I want all of you to help me stop the Sabbat. These events that are occurring were prophesized centuries ago in China by the elders. I came here to the United States, and I have been searching for you Crystal, the key to his Final Death. My childe Gareth was mistaken, Paul has been after you for a reason." 

"But what does he want with me? I don't understand!" Crystal said, exasperated. 

"I wish I knew the answer to that." Nolan replied, "He would never tell me why." 

Garan looked up at the stars and thought, _Maybe I should tell them..._

Chapter 18 >>>


	18. Ch 18: Harbinger

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"Ok, so what are we doing?" Danielle inquired. "The sun will be up soon." "I say we go home and get some rest. This has been a long night." Marc said. Crystal nodded her head in agreement. Garan glanced at Nolan. "So where are you going?" he asked. 

"That is not for you to know. I'll see you later, I know where to find you." Nolan replied as he morphed into his snow owl form and took off to the skies. "Uhm, ok." Crystal said sarcastically. 

The four of them all piled back into Garan's Pathfinder. "Do you really trust him?" Danielle asked Garan, "Because I don't..." 

Garan looked at her. "We don't really have much of a choice, now do we?" They rode on in silence, eventually arriving back at the now deserted parking garage of Menlo Park Mall. 

As they exited the car, Gerard popped out from behind his black Mustang and sauntered over. He walked right up to Garan and stared straight into his eyes. Garan backed up against his truck. "You need to tell them now. You've hidden it long enough." 

Crystal reached out, grabbed Gerard's arm and spun him around to face her. "Tell **us** what?" 

Garan stepped forward. "No no, he is right. You are all deeply involved in this, you deserve to know." 

"What are you all talking about?!" Marc exclaimed. 

Garan held Crystal against him tightly. "I love you more than the world." he whispered in her ear. "But I've been keeping a secret from you, from everyone. Only Gerard knew." He glanced at Gerard, then began to speak. "Remember when I told you there were reasons all this was happening? I'm telling you now. Paul.....was my mortal brother, and is my immortal childe. After I was embraced, I hid in the wine cellar to avoid the light. Something terrible happened. My older brother Baldric came down there looking for me since the family hadn't heard from me for days. I had been starved for blood for nearly a week and when he got close that was it. I made a terrible mistake in embracing him, but I couldn't let him die. He had always been jealous of me in every way, always trying to be better than me. We had a sibling rivalry. I was the more talented one, I got the girls he wanted and all the attention. When I turned him, he became a maleficent being. He despised me for turning him into what he perceived as "a monster". He started killing every person who had ever hurt him, and the whole town became paranoid. I tried to talk to him but he didn't care. Then one day he just disappeared. I came to find that he had joined the Sabbat, become a Toreador Antitribu. Then when I fell for you, he killed you. He wanted you just because I wanted you." 

"Oh my god..." Crystal trailed off. "So this whole time you knew all this, and never told us...me?" 

Danielle looked shocked. "You are joking.....right?" 

The look on Garan's face said otherwise. He, for the second time in his life, started to cry. 

Chapter 19 >>>


	19. Ch 19: Forsaken

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Crystal approached the morose shaking form and lifted his chin up to look at her. "I can't believe you knowingly kept this from me all this time, while I sat there confused as to why these certain things were occurring. I thought it was all my fault somehow, for some reason. And you knew, and you kept this from me, both of you. You've taken me away from my normal life and my family." She looked at Gerard, "And I hate you both." Crystal glanced at Garan one last time, and burst into tears. She took off quickly. "No, darling...stop!" Garan called to her. But it was too late, she was already gone. "Wait Gar, I'll go after her." Danielle said. 

Nolan sat perched on the rooftop of the mall, silently watching. He looked down at his childe and thought to himself, _No one is so accursed by fate, No one so utterly desolate._

_I can't believe it, Paul and Garan are brothers?! I never expected this. And he lied to me, to the one person he loves. I can't deal with this!_ A plethora of emotions flooded her mind. Crystal ran on, not knowing where she was headed. She could feel Garan's soul weeping for her; it made her whole body tingle. Yet on she ran, into the wooded area behind the mall. Branches ripped at her clothing and skin. She was crying so hard now her vision was beginning to blur. Suddenly she hit something hard enough to make her stumble backwards and fall on the ground. The beautiful pale face looked upward to see Paul standing there grinning at her. "Lost?" he asked. Her eyes went wide and she gasped out of sheer surprise. Crystal jumped to her feet and tried to run, but ran right into him again. "Where do you think you're going? The fun hasn't even started yet." 

Crystal slapped him, her palm hit the stone-like white flesh hard. It appeared not to faze him. "I hate you! Why can't you leave me be?!" she cried. 

"Simply because I wish to torment him, through you." he replied with a twisted smile. 

"Why do you hate him so? He was your mortal brother. He loved you." 

"You call that love? Snatching me from the arms of death and turning me into some kind of monster! I will make vampires the dominating species now, let the humans cower and hide in secrecy. Join me, and we'll create a new world." 

Crystal scoffed at his offer. "I'd rather die." 

Paul lunged at her and picked her up by the throat. His eyes reflected the moonlight that filtered through the treetops. "Insolent bitch! Would you really? After you were separated from Gareth for so many centuries? I don't believe you!" Crystal kicked at him but she was too young to fight one older than she. He seemed distracted suddenly, as if something or someone was watching him. He hastily flung Crystal aside toward a tree trunk and disappeared. Nolan stepped out from behind the tree and caught her. "What are we going to do with you?" he sighed gently as he looked at the beautiful young vampire in his arms. "Let's get you back to the others." With a bit of concentration he vanished with Crystal. 

Marc was trying to console Garan. "You did the right thing at the time, you kept the truth from her to keep her from getting hurt." Garan looked up at him, eyes rimmed red. "No, it was not the right thing. For the truth always comes out one way or another. I hurt the one I love and care for the most in this world. If she never forgives me, I will understand." Gerard leaned against his Mustang quietly, legs crossed at the ankles, arms folded. Nolan appeared in their midst with Crystal still in his arms. Garan quickly got up and ran to her side. "Are you ok?" he asked her. Nolan laughed, "She was just a little shaken up." Crystal smiled. "I'm fine." she said. 

"Wait, where is Danielle?" Marc inquired. "She went to look for you Crystal." 

Danielle was in the midst of the woods still looking for her old friend. She felt there was something wrong so silently she called to Majin. She continued on for a bit but eventually decided to turn around and head back. Paul had sensed her presence. He snuck up on her and swiftly knocked her to the ground. She stood up and glared at him. "You piece of shit! I'll kill you!" she yelled at her attacker. He started to laugh at her. "You, one so young...think you can destroy me?" he said. Majin was prowling about in the background and Danielle spotted him. The large cat pounced on Paul's back and then ran to Danielle's side. "Good boy." Danielle said as she grabbed her sword off of his back. She poised herself for attack and Paul disappeared. He reappeared behind her but she had been ready and stabbed the sword through his heart, right into the bark of the tree. She knew that that would not stop him, but it bought her time. She ran as quickly as she could back to the rest, in the hopes they had already found Crystal and that she was unharmed. 

Chapter 20 >>>


	20. Ch 20: Catharsis

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Garan left Crystal's side and got up in Nolan's face. "Why did you make me into this creature and leave me knowing nothing! Did you even care about all the pain and suffering I've been through? Do you know what a lonely existence I've had?" 

Nolan smiled coyly. "You had to learn your own mistakes my childe. Not all beings take the Dark Gift as well as we. Some go absolutely mad, some become silent and withdrawn when they were outgoing, happy mortals. Paul was not meant to be one of us. Such irony it is that I sired the one who in turn sired one of my enemies. I should have stayed with you my beautiful one, but my situation did not allow me to. There is nothing that can be said about what I've done to you, but such is the way of fate." 

Crystal stepped in front of Garan. "Stop it." she snapped. "There is nothing either of you can do to change what has happened, and you're together now right? Please, just stop arguing." Garan just looked down at the ground with a doleful expression on his face, like a little child that was reprimanded. At that moment, Danielle came ambling up to them looking a bit disheveled. "Danielle! What happened?" Marc cried as he ran up to her. "I'm fine, just had a run-in with Paulie boy." she replied. "Thank god Crystal is alright." 

Nolan turned to Danielle and gave her a serious look. "Paul didn't follow you back here did he?" he asked. "I'm not sur..." she began to say before she cut her words off to see what everyone was looking at behind her. 

Danielle whipped around to meet Paul face to face. His grey eyes were gleaming fiercely as he stared at her. He threw her sword down to the ground. It made a loud clanging against the cement in the silence. Paul sneered. "I believe you forgot something." he hissed in Danielle's face as he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. She struggled to pull his hands from her neck to no avail. 

"Let her go!" Marc commanded. 

Paul laughed, "Any of you approach me and she is dead!" Danielle managed to choke out Marc's name. Marc gave a sideways glance over to Nolan, who shook his head no. _Paul, let her go. You are greatly outnumbered here._ Nolan told him. Paul glanced around warily at Garan, Crystal and Nolan on his right, and Marc and Gerard to his left. "I'm not afraid of any of you." he scoffed. "Especially not my little brother." Garan clenched his fists upon hearing this. "Don't make us kill you Baldric." he snarled. Paul started laughing even harder. "You wanna try me!" Garan yelled. Paul looked at him and threw Danielle right into Marc, knocking him to the ground. Danielle lay on top of him, unmoving. "Go for it, little brother." he taunted. Garan lunged at him with pure hatred emanating from his very being. "I'll kill you myself!" Paul dodged him and jumped onto the roof of Gerard's Mustang. "Aww, too slow." he mocked. 

Meanwhile, Alex was on his way to the mall at top speed. I have a bad feeling about this. he thought to himself. "What is Paul thinking, going up against six vampires by himself?" he said aloud with a sigh. 

Paul pulled a dagger-like knife from an internal pocket in his black trench. He ran up to Garan with unnatural speed and plunged the knife deep into his left thigh. "No!" Crystal cried as Garan fell backwards, howling in pain, clutching his knee to his chest. She immediately ran to his side and gently pulled the knife out of his leg, which had already begun to heal. Garan stood up and held her close. Paul laughed again. "You are such a baby Garan, always have been." He reached under his trenchcoat to unsheath his sword, and pointed it at Garan. "Now I will put you out of your misery!" 

Nolan stepped forward. "Paul, stop right there. You kill him, and we will kill you." Gerard stepped up as well. Danielle lifted her head, still a bit shaky, while Marc helped her to her feet. They all stopped and stared past Garan and Crystal. "Wha..?" Garan said as he turned around to see Megan and Rob strolling toward them, arm in arm, with Wendell trailing behind them. All were wearing dark sunglasses; Rob was wearing his black trenchcoat and blue jeans with black sneakers. Megan wore black bondage pants with black Skechers and her tight white baby doll t-shirt that said 'I love tattooed dumb guys'. Wendell was wearing black UFO pants with an anime character t-shirt. "What are you guys doing? Get out of here now!" Crystal yelled to them. They just grinned and slowly removed their sunglasses. 

"Holy shit!" Garan cried, horrified by what he saw. 

Chapter 21 >>>


	21. Ch 21: Merely the beginning

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Megan and Rob stood there for a second. Both of them looked at each other then back at Garan. Wendell stayed quiet. "You've been keeping secrets from us Garan." Rob said with a grin, "I thought we were friends." Megan chimed in, "Yes, naughty, naughty Garan. Paul told us all about you, he promised that Rob and I can be together for all eternity if we kill you and Crystal." 

"You traitors!" Danielle cried. 

"Rob, you were supposed to be my best friend. How could you do this?" Marc asked. 

"All of you hid this power from us. You're no friends of mine!" Rob replied curtly. 

"Then we have no choice but to kill you too." Nolan said quietly. 

"Megan, why?!" Crystal screamed aloud. Megan just gave her a cold glare as Garan pulled her close, protectively. 

Wendell spoke up, "Why? Why not is the answer. We can do anything we want forever, and no harm will come to us." 

"You three think it's all so easy don't you?" Garan said. 

"Enough!" Paul shouted. "Kill them, or I kill the three of you!" 

Rob pulled a small bottle out of the right-hand pocket of his coat and proceeded to light the wick with a silver Zippo. He flung it right in the midst of the group of Toreadors and they all jumped away from it as it made a loud explosion. 

"Are you insane?!" Marc yelled. 

"Yes, I believe that is what my tattoo says, isn't it?" Rob held out his forearm where the black kanji sat in the midst of a psychotic looking jester tattoo and started laughing hysterically. 

Megan went straight for Crystal and Garan but Paul stepped in her way. "Leave these two for me." he commanded. Wendell pulled out a small sword and looked at Nolan. "Bring it on." Nolan said underneath his breath. Garan lifted Crystal up in his arms and tried to escape to his car. 

"Come back! Don't you want to play with me?" Paul laughed mockingly. 

Wendell aimed his short sword and charged at Nolan. In one swift movement, Nolan sidestepped him, grabbed the sword and cleanly lopped his head off. It rolled a few feet and came to a stop. Wendell's body slumped to the ground, lifeless. Nolan looked down at the body and said, "Told you I'd have to kill you." Sword still in hand, he went to go help Garan. 

Marc, Danielle, and Gerard still had their hands full with Rob and Megan. They didn't just have regular weapons; they had explosives. Megan took a large bottle of lighter fluid out of her handbag, ran over to Gerard's car, and splashed it all underneath the car. "No!" Gerard cried. Marc quickly pulled Danielle away and got to a safe distance as Megan ignited the fluid and ran. "Gerard, move your ass now!" Marc yelled at him. Gerard turned and in a second he was next to them. He watched sadly as his Mustang blew up, leaving a shell of flames and smoke. 

Danielle called a flock of pigeons down to distract Rob and Megan while she grabbed some weapons from her trunk. She handed the green sword to Marc, and she took a flamethrower. Marc gave her a strange look. "What?" she asked, "You always have to be prepared; fight fire with fire!" Marc just rolled his eyes and said, "Let's go get 'em." 

Garan and Crystal got into his Pathfinder and he tried to start the engine, but it was dead. Paul strolled over laughing, "You think I didn't take care of your car earlier? Now you have nowhere to go little brother." 

Garan stepped out of the car and motioned for Crystal to stay there. 

"Why Baldric? You can stop this and renounce your loyalty to the Sabbat. Please, I'm asking you one last time." 

"Never! Do you understand the pain and loneliness you've caused me Gareth? I will never live with humans, hiding in the shadows. This is your last chance! You will pay for what you've done one way or another. You stole my happiness, now I shall steal yours. You will give Crystal to me or she shall watch you perish." 

"No! You will leave her out of this! This is between you and I." 

"Have it your way." he said as he unsheathed his long broadsword. 

Garan grabbed his sword from the backseat of his truck. It bore a silver family crest in the middle of the shiny black scabbard. "Ready to say goodbye?" Paul asked. 

Garan lunged at him with the two-handed sword. Paul blocked with his own sword. The garage echoed with the sounds of metal hitting metal. Crystal couldn't stand it anymore; she snuck out of the truck and hid behind it to watch. Paul caught Garan off guard as he noticed her getting out and sliced his calf wide open. Garan let out a small cry of surprise and fell to his knees. Nolan appeared just as Paul was about to swing the fatal blow to Garan, but he was too late. Crystal ran out and jumped in front of him. Alex suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dived to push her out of the way, but caught Paul's blade and was sliced in half mid-torso. The two halves of his body fell in front of Garan, pooling blood all on the ground. Crystal watched in horror. She clutched her hands to the sides of her head and crumpled to the floor crying, "Noo! Noo! NOOO!" Paul suddenly burst into flames and started screaming. Garan looked around perplexed for a moment, then realized that Crystal was the cause of the spontaneous combustion. Nolan watched in awe as Paul crawled toward him, still burning. He held his hand up, reaching out for Nolan. 

"Yoou….betrayed me………." 

Nolan laughed as he raised his sword to strike. "Aww come on Paulie, I never _was_ on your side." he replied and promptly sliced Paul's head off. "No hard feelings ok?" 

Garan immediately ran over to Crystal and knelt beside her. She was sobbing so hard she was shaking and gasping. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest. "I'm so tired of pain, of misery and death. So very tired…" she whispered as she passed out in Garan's lap. He looked at Nolan, who just smiled and said, "She'll be fine…she's just exhausted, and she hasn't fed for days by the look of her." 

"How did she do that? The fire…" 

"Now you understand why the Sabbat really wanted her." He said as he turned and walked away. 

"Wait! Where are you going?" Garan called after him. 

"To see if Marc, Danielle, and Gerard are still alive. Alive. Hahahaha!" he started laughing hysterically at his own joke. 

Garan just shook his head, gently lifted Crystal up in his arms, and laid her down in the backseat of his car. 

"Well, that wasn't so hard." Marc noted as he kicked Rob's severed head toward Megan's charred carcass that lie a few feet away. Danielle scoffed. "I never liked them anyway." Gerard just stood back silently, observing. 

Marc looked at him. "You think you could help us dispose of their remains at least?" he asked sarcastically. Nolan started clapping in the distance. "Bravo, bravo!" he said as he walked up to the group. "There's hope for you yet Marc." Marc turned and gave Nolan a dirty look. 

_Paul is dead._ Nolan told everyone. 

"Where are Garan and Crystal?" Gerard inquired. 

"They're still downstairs…figured I'd give them some time alone." 

Danielle still looked wary. "Is Crystal ok?" 

"Yes." 

"There is something you're not telling us." 

"I'll let Garan explain that to you. Come downstairs." 

The group headed to the nearest flight of stairs to descend to the second floor of the garage. As they emerged from the stairwell, they spotted Garan kneeling on the ground next to his brother's remains. His face was strewn with crimson tears. "I'm so sorry it had to come to this Baldric. But you knew didn't you? You knew what she was capable of long ago. Why? There is more to this than I know…but I will find out, I will." 

"Bro, are you ok?" Marc asked quietly as he walked up behind him. 

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about Crystal." 

Danielle opened the passenger side door of the suv and lightly shook Crystal. Her eyes fluttered open gradually and the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "I did it…. I killed his brother." Her voice was flat and monotone, dead. 

"It wasn't your fault!" Danielle said, "He tempted fate twice and he lost. Simple as that." She sat up and started to weep again, but her tears were not that of blood, but saline, like a human's. "Oh my god!" Danielle gasped. Garan ran over and held her; he turned to Nolan with a frightened look on his face. "What is wrong with her?" he demanded to know. 

"Honestly, I have never seen such a thing before." 

"Everyone calm down." Gerard said. "To me, it looks as if there is more to Crystal than we thought." 

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine." she reassured them, "I just haven't fed for days." 

"Come here." Nolan told her. She obeyed and stood in front of him. He put his right arm around her back and tilted her head back. He bit his tongue hard with his sharp canines and leaned in to kiss her. She was shocked at first, but was so pleased at the taste of the blood that she quickly returned his kiss. 

Garan was about to say something, but Gerard stopped him. _You're almost as drained as she is, look at the blood all over the ground from your leg. Let it go, she needs it._

_You're right...I am just overly protective of her since I lost her all those years ago._

Nolan released her and she walked back over to Garan, who received her with open arms. "Well, I'm done here. Time for me to part ways my friends." 

"Where are you going?" Marc asked. 

Nolan smirked. "What, are you actually going to miss me?" 

"No...uh..I dunno!" 

"I know I'll be seeing you again, sooner than you may think." Nolan said as he morphed into eagle form and flew off. 

"That guy is weird." Danielle stated. 

Garan sighed. "He is my maker..." 

Marc laughed, "Mine too! Does that make me your brother?" 

"Uh, no." 

Crystal snickered and Garan gave her a look. "What?" she replied innocently. 

Gerard looked at the Mustang keys in his hand and sighed loudly. "Well, I'm gonna get going too. I'm going hunting." He gave Garan a hug, and bid everyone farewell. "Garan, I'll talk to you later. Adieu." he said as he walked away. 

Crystal turned to Marc and Danielle. "So, what are you two going to do?" 

"I don't know." Marc replied. "Well...you can't go back home now." Danielle said. 

"That's true...I'll miss my family." 

"You can come live with me! That would make me happier than anything in the world." 

"Of course I will." 

"Yay!" Danielle cried as she jumped on Marc and death-grip hugged him. "I love you so much!" 

Garan looked back at his Pathfinder and then at Danielle. "Umm...do you think you guys could give us a ride back to my place?" 

"Sure, come on." Danielle replied. 

A shadowy figure in the distance watched as they all got into the 3000 GT. 

_Good, Paul is dead. That worthless piece of shit couldn't have accomplished this mission anyway. This is only the beginning my friends..._


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